UTS PHYSIOLOGY

Anthropometrics
 Height (m)
 Body Mass (kg)
 % Body fat
o Bioelectrical impedance: tissues with high water content will readily conduct a current,
however the flow of current through fat is impeded.
 Waist measurement (cm)
 Height-weight tables
o Show healthy ranges
 <10% ideal range = underweight
 >10% ideal range = overweight
 20% ideal weight = obese
 BMI
o Body weight (kg) / height2 (m)
 Healthy 19-25
 Overweight 25-30
 Obese 30+
 Waist to hip ratio
o <1.0/.8 (male/female) = lower body “pear-shaped” = healthy
o >1.0/.8 (male/female) = upper body “apple on a stick” = at risk

PULSE
 Normal between 60-100bpm
 Can be palpated where an artery lies near the surface of the body.
 Generally high in females than males
 Usually faster on inspiration and slower on expiration (sinus arrhythmia)
 Pulse rate decreases as aerobic fitness increases

Palpable pulses
 Radial artery
 Femoral artery: midway between public symphisis and ASIS, about 2.5cm below inguinal ligament
 Popliteal artery
 Dorsalis pedis
 Tibialis posterior

Radio-femoral delay: usually due to coarctation of the aorta.

BLOOD PRESSURE
 MAP = CO x TPR
 CO = SV x HR

Systolic BP: the peak pressure in the large arteries during the ejection phase of ventricular systole. Used
as an indicator of CO.

Diastolic BP: the minimum pressure in arteries during ventricular diastole. Used as an indicator of TPR.

Pulse pressure (PP): the difference between SBP and DBP. It is useful indicator of the extent and
efficiency of blood flow. Considered a measure of the elasticity/recoil of the arteries.
 PP >40mmHg increases risk of heart attack or stroke.
Other formulas for MAP
 MAP = 1/3 x ((2 x DBP) + SBP)
 MAP = DBP + 1/3 PP

CARDIOVASCULAR ADAPTATIONS TO EXERCISE

 There is only enough ATP in the body sufficient for a 25m sprint
 Muscles contain phosphocreatine  4 x more than ATP.
 Aerobic respiration = glycolysis
 Increased activity = increased oxygen demands for muscle.
 Blood gas levels are largely unchanged during exercise


CV adaptations to changes in blood flow

 When we go from sitting to standing (or visa versa) there is a change in BP and HR
 This may be due to gravitational pooling of blood in capacitance vessels (veins in lower
extremities)
o Pooling in lower limbs = decreased venous return = decreased SV = decreased CO =
compensatory mechanisms (eg baroreceptors) increase HR and cause vasoconstriction to
increase MAP.

Electroencephalopathy (EEG)
EEG electrodes are placed on scalp according to 20-10 system. This system is specifies EEG electrode
locations based on various locations which are 10% or 20% of the distance (in cm) between standard
points used for measurement e.g. nasion-inion distance. Means EEG measurements can be standard and
uniform.
Four main EEG activities:
 Delta = <4Hz, large amplitude, sleep
 Theta = 4-7Hz, some sleep states, drowsiness, fatigue, very light sleep REM, meditation.
 Alpha = 8-13Hz, relaxed
 Beta = >14Hz, alert, activated

Use of EEG in epilepsy

 Epilepsy is a transitory disturbance of the brain functions. It is a serious neurological condition
with a peak incidence in early childhood and in the elderly. Can involve simple seizures(involving
limited region of the cortex), complex partial seizures (bilateral spread of seizure discharge),
generalised seizures (widespread CNS, loss of consciousness), or absence seizures (rapid onset of
unresponsivesness, brain region??).
 EEG is a useful, non-invasive way to monitor epileptic fits  associated with generalised
synchronous or focal spike and wave discharges. Seizures are usually accompanied by very large
amplitude EEG patterns of about 3Hz.

Electromyography (EMG).
Voluntary control of Muscles
 Fine motor = pyramidal system. Signals incorporate the pre-central gyrus (motor area) and
descent to medulla, cross (forming a pyramid) and descend to spinal cord  corticospinal tract.
 Gross motor = extra-pyramidal system. Origina is mostly prefrontal cortex but also precentral,
postcentral and temporal cortex. Most fibres cross in medulla, descending fibres travel down
spinal cord.

Muscle contraction – molecular level

  Ach released at NMJ (ligand-gated Na channels). As a result, voltage gated Na channels in
myofibril open. Membrane depolarises and action potential generated  sweeps down
sarcolemma.
 Ca2+ ions released into sarcoplasm surrounding the myofibrils. Allows myosin filaments to take
hold of actin filaments. Myosin heads rotate (via ATPADP). Actin filaments slide into spaces
between myosin fibrils.
 Prolonged contraction leads to fatigue because of ATP depletion. Exercise to 75% max for few
mins/day  more myofibrils  increased muscle diameter.

Electromyography
 Technique of measuring and recording electrical potentials associated with contraction in muscle
fibres.
 Can be invasive (using thin needles into muscle tissue) or non-invasive (measured from the skin
 closer muscle is to skin, greater amount of electrical activity recorded).
 Good indicator of tension in skeletal muscles.
 EMG waveform will show spike discharges from motor units underlying an electrode. Amplitude
varies depending on mass of muscle.
 Bipolar placement (ie using 2 electrodes is common) – more sensitive to gradients of muscle
activity between the two electrodes. Standardised placement = 2 active bipolar leads and 1
inactive (ground) lead.

Notes from Questions:

 Rigor Mortis – when dead, no ATP available as tissue is dead, therefore myosin heads can not be
released from action filament (as this action is ATP-dependent).
 Knee-jerk = myotatic reflex. Muscle stretches  afferent information to spinal cord  synapses
with efferent neuron (maybe via interneuron)  muscle contraction. Knee-jerk = monosynaptic.