Muscle Physiology

BIOLOGY 25 LECTURE
Anna Theresa A. Santiago, MPH
 Lecture Content

1. Types of muscle tissue

2. Skeletal muscle structure
3. Muscle contraction
4. Motor unit
5. Muscle tension
6. Fatigue (muscle & central)
Types of muscle tissue
 Skeletal, smooth & cardiac muscles
comprise most of an animal’s non-water
weight

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Cardiac muscle
 Muscle tissue of the heart
 Intercalated discs = gap junctions
– Regions of low electrical resistance for
action potential transmission
– Marks adjacent muscle cells

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 Back
Smooth muscle
 Muscle tissue of the viscera
 Two types based on innervation:
1. Single-unit: one nerve + gap
junctions
2. Multi-unit: one nerve per muscle cell

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 Skeletal muscle structure

Muscle  Muscle cell = muscle

fiber
 A muscle cell/ fiber
Muscle fibers extends from one end
of the muscle tissue to
the other
Muscle fiber
 Myofibrils comprise
Sarcomere
Myofibril each muscle cell
 Sarcomere = basic
contractile unit of
muscle
Myofibrils
 Contain the contractile elements of
muscle: myosin (thick) and actin
(thin)

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 Myofibril bands vs. Sarcomere Back

bands

Myofibril Sarcomere
 A band (dark band):  Z–M–Z
center is the M line  Z line: α-actinin/titin
 I band (light band): binds actin of adjacent
center is the Z sarcomeres
line/disc  M line: Mittel of
Muscle contraction
 A molecular phenomenon involving
the interaction between thick
(myosin) & thin (actin) myofibril
filaments
 Myosin at the A band have cross
bridges that can bind to actin
 Actin is pulled towards the center
of the sarcomere, drawing the Z
lines closer together

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Myosin
• Composed of 2 coiled polypeptide chains

Tails are oriented towards

the center of the sarcomere
(M line)

M line 10
Actin
• Composed of 2 coiled actin molecules plus the
regulatory proteins tropomyosin & troponin

• Tropomyosin: covers the actin bindinding sites

(dark green circles)
• Troponin: 3 binding sites (for tropomyosin, actin
and Ca2+ ions)
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The sliding filament
mechanism
 Decreases in width: sarcomere, I band,
H zone
 No change: A band and technically, the
Myosin & actin filaments

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13
 Clip 1

Clip 2
ATP

ATP

ATP
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 Back

Hypothetical model of the

swinging lever arm

Working stroke produced by

opening and closing of the
nucleotide binding site, resulting
in rotation of the regulatory
domain (neck) about a fulcrum

Power Stroke
(converter domain).

Sub-nanometer rearrangements at
active site are geared up to give 5-
10 nm displacement at the end of
the lever arm.

Ruegg et al., (2002) News Physiol Sci 17:213-218.

 Motor Unit
 1 motor neuron + all muscle cells
innervated
 Muscle fiber recruitment
– Progressive activation of muscle fibers
– Intricate, fine movement: few muscle
fibers per motor unit (ex. fingers)
– Coarse, controlled movement: many
muscle fibers per motor unit (ex. trunk
muscles)
 The neuromuscular junction is the
site of action potential transfer from
the neuron to the muscle (action 16
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 How is action potential
transferred to the muscle?
Action potential Ca2+ enters axon terminal; Acetylcholine
Neurotransmitter vesicles binds to sarco-
Reaches axon terminal
Of motor neuron Exocytose acetylcholine lemma receptor

Membrane
depolarization
View
Clip 1. Ca2+ binds to troponin
Ca2+ from
2. Myosin binds to actin Sarcoplasmic
3. ATP fuels power stroke Reticulum is
4. SLIDING FILAMENT Released into
sarcoplasm

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 Invaginations of the
Muscle cell membrane
(sarcolemma) that
• Coordinated muscle contraction in a Disseminates the
skeletal muscle is due to the individual action potential
innervation of muscle fibers
• Meanwhile, cardiac muscles have gap junctions that connect
all muscle fibers 19
 3 potential actions during muscle
contraction
Biceps muscle shortens
during contraction
(Isotonic: shortening
• shortening against fixed load,
speed dependent on
M·ATPase activity and
load)

• isometric

Most likely to cause

• lengthening Biceps muscle lengthens
during contraction muscle injury

Modified from Vander, Sherman, Luciano

Human Physiology, McGraw-Hill.
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How is muscle relaxation Back

achieved?
 Reuptake of Ca2+ ions from the
sarcoplasm back into the
sarcoplasmic reticulum
 This happens upon repolarization of
the sarcolemma (membrane
repolarization)
 Another action potential will cause
the release of Ca2+ ions into the
sarcoplasm

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Muscle tension
 The “effect” or “response” of a
muscle due to an action potential
from a motor neuron
 A twitch is an expression of muscle
tension

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 Back
Muscle tension

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Fatigue

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Fatigue

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End

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