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MovementandLocomotioninAnimals

MuscularContraction

Home Biology MovementandLocomotioninAnimals

MuscularContraction

Muscleiscomposedofalargenumberofmusclefibres.Themusclefibresare
arrangedingroups.Eachgroupisunderthecontrolofasinglemotorneuron,theaxon
ofwhichsendsaterminalbranchtoeachfibreofthegroup.Allthemusclefibresofa
groupcontractwhenanerveimpulsetravelsdowntheirmotorneruon.Amotorneuron
andthegroupofmusclefibresinnervatedbyitsaxonconstituteafunctionalunit,
calledthemotorunit.Thenumberofmusclefibreandmotorunitisvariableand
dependsonthefinenessofthecontrol,amotorunithastoexercise.
Whenamuscleisstimulated,ashortlatentperiodfollows,duringwhichitistakingup
thestimulus.Itthencontracts,whereitbecomesshortandthick,andfinallyitrelaxes
andelongates.
Incaseofastripedmusclefibrethecontractionlastsforonlyafractionofasecond
andeachcontractionoccursinresponsetoasinglenerveimpulse.Theforcewith
whichawholemusclecontractsisadjustedbyvaryingthenumberoffibres
contractingandthefrequencywithwhicheachfibrecontracts.

SubTopics
1.MechanismofMusclecontraction
2.Theenergyforthemuscularcontraction
3.Physicalchangesduringmusclecontraction
4.Shorteningofmusclefibre
5.Viscosity
6.Tonicity
7.Heatproduction
8.Electricalchanges
9.Biochemicalchangesduringmusclecontraction

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MechanismofMusclecontraction

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Duringmusclecontraction,thelaterallyprojectingheads(crossbridges)ofthethick
myosinmyofilamentscomeincontactwiththethinactinmyofilamentsandrotateon

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them.Thispullsthethinmyofilamentstowardsthemiddleofthesarcomerepastthe
thickmyofilaments.TheZlinescomeclosertogetherandthesarcomerebecomes
shorter.LengthoftheAbandremainsconstant.Myofilamentsstaythesamelength.
Freeendofactinmyofilamentsmoveclosertothecentreofthesarcomere,bringingZ
linesclosertogether.IbandsshortenandHzonenarrows.Asimilaractioninallthe
sarcomeresresultsinshorteningoftheentiremyofibril,andtherebyofthewholefibre
andthewholemuscle.Acontractedmusclebecomesshorterandthickerandits
volumeremainsthesame.

EventsduringsMuscleContraction
ThistheorywhichiscalledtheslidingfilamenttheoryproposedbyA.F.HuxleyandJ.
Hansenisthemostsatisfactoryandacceptedone.

Theenergyforthemuscularcontraction

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Theenergyforthemuscularcontractionisprovidedbytheconversionofadenosine
triphosphate(ATP)intoadenosinediphosphate(ADP)andinorganicphosphate,
releasingenergy.AenzymemyosinATPasecatalysethereactioninthepresenceof
Ca2+andMg2+ions.

TheusedupATPhastoberestoredforadditionalcontractions,Sophosphocreatine
nowcomesintopicture.ItdonatesitshighenergyphospatebondtoADP,producing
ATP.Thisreactioniscatalysedbyanenzymecreatinekinase

Whencreatinephospateisusedup,newATPisgeneratedbyaerobicrespirationin
themusclecells.IftheATPisusedupfasterthanthemusclefibrescanproduce
aerobically,thenthemusclefibresstartanaerobicrespirationtoprovideATP.This
produceslacticacid.Thislacticacidisdiffusedintothebloodleavingasmallpartto
accumulateinthemusclefibre.Majorpartoflacticacidispassedintotheliverwhere
itisoxidisedtoCO2andH2O.Theenergyreleasedfromthisoxidationisusedfor
changingtheremaininglacticacidtoglycogen.

Physicalchangesduringmusclecontraction

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Followingphysicalchangesareobservedduringamusclecontraction.

Shorteningofmusclefibre

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Duringmusclecontractionthesarcomeresshortentoabout6070%oftherestlength.
Thisdependsonthestrengthofthestimulusandthenumberofmotorunitsinvolved.

Viscosity
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Viscosity

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Viscosityduringmusclecontractionanddensityofthesarcoplasmincreases.

Tonicity

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Thepartialcontractionofarelaxedmuscleiscalledtonus.Duringmusclecontraction,
thetonicityincreasesasmoreandmoremotorunitscomeintothephaseof
contraction.

Heatproduction

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TheenergyreleasedbyATPduringmusclecontractionispartiallyconvertedtoheat
whichhelpsinmaintaininghomeothermy.

Electricalchanges

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Thesarcolemmaiswitharestpotentialof90mV.Duringcontractionanactionpotential
of+45to+50mVisdeveloped.

BiochemicalchangesduringmusclecontractionBacktoTop
Duringmusclecontractionanumberofbiochemicalchangesoccurs,whichwere
studiedbyAlbertSzentGyorgyiin1942andlaterbyR.E.Daviesin1963.Inaresting
musclefibre,sarcolemmaiselectropositiveoutsideandelectronegativeinside.This
potentialdifferenceacrossamembraneiscalledrestingpotential.Amembranewith
sucharestingpotentialissaidtobepolarised.
Na+ionspredominatetheoutsideofthesarcolemmaandpotassuimionspredominate
theinside.Duetothedifferenceinconcentrationonthetwosidesofthesarcolemma,
potassiumionsleaveandsodiumionsenterthemusclefibre.
SarcolemmaismorepermeabletoK+ionsthantosodiumions.Hencepotassiumions
leavethemusclefibrefasterthansodiumionsenter,andthisbuildsapositivecharge
outside.
Whenthemotornerveimpulsereachestheneuromuscularjunction,thenthevesicles
presentinthemotorendplatesecreteaneurotransmitterchemicalcalled
acetylcholine(ach).
AchbindstothereceptorsonthesarcolemmamakesitmorepermeabetoNa+than
K+sothat,sodiumrapidlydiffusealongtheconcentrationgradientandtheelectrical
gradient.Nowsarcolemmabecomeselectropositiveinsideandelectronegative
outside.Thisnewpotentialdifferenceiscalledactionpotential.Suchsarcolemmais
calleddepolarised.
Actionpotentialstimulatesthesarcoplasmicreticulumtoreleasecalciumionswhich
initiatethebiochemicalchangesinmusclecontraction.
CalciumandmegnesiumionsactascofactorsformyosineATPaseenzymewhich
hydrolysesATPintoADPandinorganicphosphatereleasingenergy.

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