SKELETAL MUSCLE

Skeletal muscle is made up of

hundreds of muscle fibers
Fibers consists of threadlike myofibrils
Myofibrils composed of smaller
myofilaments
Striations reflect the overlapping of
muscle filaments
Skeletal Muscles Structure
Muscle are composed of bundles of muscle fibers,
which in turn are made of bundles of myofibrils.

Muscle fiber:
Sarcolemma: the plasma membrane with inward
extensions form T tubules.
Sarcoplasm: refers to the cytoplasm.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum: the ER in muscle.
Myofilaments actin and myosin, which are
organized into contractile units called
Sarcomeres: basic units connected end-to-end by
Z- line to form myofibrils.
The Myofilaments
The thick filaments and the thin filaments.
These two filaments are arranged within the
sarcomere in an overlapping manner.
Thin filaments are composed of the protein actin,
the helical backbone of thin filament.
Each actin protein contains an active site which
interacts with the myosin head.
Two other proteins are present in the thin
filaments, tropomyosin and troponin.
Thick filaments are composed of a myosin. The
head extends out from the filament forming cross
bridges which interact with the thin filaments
Sarcomere

Contractile unit
Actin (thin) filaments
Myosin (thick) filaments
Steps in muscle contraction

Acetylcholine released by a motor
neuron combines with receptors on
the surface of a muscle fiber
Calcium ions released from the
sarcoplasmic reticulum

Calcium ions bind to troponin in
the actin filaments causing the
troponin to change shape
Troponin pushes tropomyosin
away from the active sites on the
actin filaments
ATP binds to myosin
ATP is split, putting the myosin head in
a high-energy state
Energized myosin heads bind to the
exposed active sites on the actin
filaments
The actin filament is pulled toward the
center of the sarcomere
Myosin head binds a new ATP
Myosin head detaches from the
actin
Myosin reattaches to new active
sites so that the filaments are
pulled past one another
Muscle continues to shorten
STIMULATION
Contraction of skeletal muscle is initiated when
an action potential traveling down a motor
neuron reaches the neuromuscular junction.
Motor neuron releases acetylcholine into synaptic
cleft, which binds with receptors on muscle fiber.
Depolarizes (change in electric charge) the
sarcolemma of the muscle fiber.
This action potential travels down the inward-
projecting T tubules that reach deep into the
muscle fiber.
Depolarization of T tubules opens calcium
channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Causing the to release of stored calcium ions.
Ca
2+
then diffuse into the myofibrils and bind to
troponin complex, which change its shape.
Pushing tropomyosin away from the active sites
on the actin filament.
Expose myosin-binding sites, which are capable
of interacting with myosin heads, forming cross
bridges after ATP breakdown to ADP& P
i
.
A new ATP binds to myosin heads, breaking the
cross bridges and myosin detach from actin.
Tropomyosin then covers active sites on the actin
molecules and relaxation occurs.
After contraction, ACH inactivated, the Ca
2+

moves back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Muscle
contraction
Myosin head (H) attaches to actin filament (A),
forming a crossbridge.
Providing energy for muscle
contraction

ATP hydrolysis provides the
energy to cock the myosin
Creatine phosphate is used for
intermediate energy storage
Glycogen is the fuel stored in
muscle fibers
Antagonistic action of
skeletal muscles

Agonist muscle contracts
Antagonist muscle relaxes
Groups of muscles work together
Series of separate stimuli timed close together
produces a smooth, sustained contraction
Muscle action