FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION

PHYSIOLOGY
1.5.1 MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY (DR. BARBON)

SKELETAL MUSCLES:
o Dependent on the normal function of the motor nerves
o Connected via the myoneural junction or neuromuscular
junction
Same with synapse
o Terminal end of the motor nerve Pre synaptic
Using acetylcholine as the primary Neurotransmitting agent
o The area of the post-synaptic part of the muscle END
PLATE
In direct contact with the terminal end of the motor
end
Nicotinic receptors are found in this area
Origin of the motor nerves motor cortex
Motor cortex located on the frontal cortex
o Responsible
for
creating
motor
commands
The Anterior Part of the spinal cord is
responsible for motor impulses
Motor nerves are myelinated
MOTOR UNIT:
Motor nerve + the muscle they innervate
The motor nerve is directly attached to the
muscle bundle (covered by epimysium)
bundle of fascicles (covered by perimysium)
o Within these fascicles we can see single
strand of muscle fibers covered by the
endomysium
The endomysium is commonly
referred to as the sarcolemma it
is where action potentials are
initially transmitted
It is where the motor nerve is
directly connected
The muscle fibers are bundles of
myofibrils made up of series
sarcomeres functional unit of
the skeletal muscles
Sarcomeres are made up of
myofilaments
o Actin thin filaments
o Myosin

thick
filaments
o Z Lines forms the
boundary
of
the
sarcomeres

M line - forms the

center
of
the
sarcomere
BINDING PROTEINS:
o ACTIN: Actinin and
CapZ - Attaches actin
filaments to the z line
o MYOSIS: Titin: connects
the M line to the Z line

ACTIN FILAMENT:
o G-Actin molecules - smallest units of the
actin filaments
series of G actin filaments are
made up of F-actin molecule
MYOSIN FILAMENT:
o Made up of bundles of
myosin molecules
Light and Heavy
Meromyosin are
the
smallest
units of myosin
molecules.

SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY OF CONTRACTION:

Sliding of the actin filaments over the myosin heads
creating power stroke, pulling the actin towards
the center that will shorten the sarcomere
The whole muscle decreases its length
There is only decrease in length, no decrease in
myofilaments
TITIN is a collapsible protein
RESTING MUSCLE:
Polarized muscle is always in its relaxed state

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NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
PHYSIOLOGY
1.5.1 MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY (DR. BARBON)

No sliding happens no interaction between

the actin and myosin heads

Due to the presence on the TROPONINTROPOMYOSIN COMPLEX relaxing protein

Present in the actin filaments.
This complex covers the myosin binding sites
present on the actin filaments
o To expose the myosin binding site Calcium
is needed
o Calcium will then bind to Troponin C will
allow the said complex to move and
expose the myosin binding sites on the
actin filaments.
o Attachment of the myosin heads to the
actin filaments is now possible and causing
sliding of the filaments initiating muscular
activity
Troponin I (INHIBITION) responsible for
controlling the activity of the troponintropomyosin complex when the cell Is
polarized
o Will always allow the complex to stay on
top of the actin filaments specifically on
the myosin binding sites
Troponin T: needed so that there will be firm
attachment of the troponin molecules to the
tropomyosin molecules
In the sarcomere, 1 myosin filament is
surrounded by 6 actin filaments

There are about 600 myosin heads per

myosin filaments that is capable of
combining with the actin filaments
o On the actin filaments, 1 myosin head can
interact with 1.8 actin molecules (almost 2)
o In a maximal intensity of muscular activity
only 20% - 40% of myosin heads will
interact to the myosin binding sites
Maximum contraction of the muscle
TRANSVERSE TUBULUES
Transmits impulses inwards to affect the
myofibrils
Immediately transmitted to the sarcoplasmic
reticulum envelops the myofibrils
T-Tubules
+
Sarcoplasmic
Reticulum
=
SarcoTubular system of the muscle
For impulse conduction inward to the
myofibrils with simultaneous release of
Calcium ions
Arranged in a triad: 1 T-tubules bounded by 2
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum cisterns they store
Calcium ions Troponin C
o Calsequestrins holds calcium ions in the
cisterns when the muscle cells are
polarized
When there is stimulation, they
release calcium ions regulated by the
histidine rich calcium binding
proteins
o Dihydropyridine ( present in T-Tubules)
and Ryanodine Receptors - needed for
normal release of calcium ions form the
cisterns
Dihydropyridine receptors will affect
the ryanodine receptors to allow the
release of Calcium ions on the
sarcomere
Affects the activity of the voltage
gated Ca channels follows the
concentration gradient
MUSCLE TWITCH:
Normal response of the muscle to a stimulus
(single Action Potential) followed by relaxation
Periods of the muscle twitch
Latent period before the contraction period;
generating of the action potential; absolute
refractory period
o Generation of impulses in a motor neuron

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
PHYSIOLOGY
1.5.1 MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY (DR. BARBON)

o
o
o

Release of NTA at motor end plate

Binding of NTA to its specific receptor
Increased Na and K conductance in end
plate membrane
o Generation of end plate potential
o Generation of action potential in the
muscle fibers
o Inward spread of impulses along the sacrotubular system
o Release of calcium from terminal cisterns
and diffusion to the myofilaments
o Binding of calcium to troponin C, exposing
myosin binding sites on actin
Contraction period
o Excitable period for the muscle
TETANIC CONTRACTION continuous contraction
of muscles
o Formation of cross-linkages between actin
and myosin to cause shortening to develop
tension (force)
Myosin- greatly needs ATP since it is the one
developing the power stroke
They pull actin filaments toward the center
Where ATP are usually stored
ATP will only allow the muscle to contract for
three seconds
o After three seconds, using creatinephosphate and breaking down the stored
glycogen PHOSPHAGEN SYSTEM
Relaxation period
o Relaxation return to resting length
o STEPS:
Cessation of action potential
Calcium pumped back to the
terminal cisterns
Moving back to the cisterns
Need energy to pump back
calcium back to the cisterns
calcium moving against its
concentration
gradient
utilizing the Ca-Mg ATPase
o SERCA- brings Ca back
to the cisterns
Present in the
sarcoplasmic
endoplasmic
reticulum

Cessation of interaction between

actin and myosin
Loss of developed tension to return
to its resting length
Magnesium ions :Immediate breakdown of
ATP in the myosin filaments
Helps release ATP stored in myosin
heads
To be biologically active, it must
bind with ATP
Other importance:
Helps build bone
Aids in making proteins
Regulates body temp
Helps in maintaining memory
peanuts

Different Bands in the sarcomere:

A band: total length of the Myosin filaments;
no shortening
o Dark band
I band: region of the actin filaments of 2
adjacent sarcomeres devoid of myosin;
shortens during contraction
H zone: region of myosin devoid of actin;

shortens during contraction

Heat production in Muscles: - due to continuous

metabolic activity
Resting heat: generated in rest (metabolic)

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
PHYSIOLOGY
1.5.1 MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY (DR. BARBON)

Initial Heat: heat production in excess of resting

heat during contraction
Activation heat
o d/t the Na-K pump
Heat of shortening
o Use of ATP when the muscle is trying to
relax unbinding of the myosin heads to
the myosin binding sites
Recovery Heat: heat generated by the metabolic
processes that restore the muscle to its precontraction state
Relaxation Heat: extra heat in addition to
recovery heat produced when a muscle returns to
its resting length
SUMMATION:
Temporal: successive application of stimulus
Magnitude of the stimulus increases
Incomplete tetanus: increasing magnitude of
contraction aka unfused tetanus
Not allowing the muscle to return to its
relaxation state
Complete tetanus fused tetanus no individual
twitches seen
Higher frequency; shorter interval for
stimulation increasing response
Quantal summation:
Gradually increasing stimulus intensity until it
reach the maximal response
Multiple muscle fiber summation
Seen in submaximal intensities
Allowing the muscle to achieve the maximal
response
No more progressive increase utilization of
the 40% of the myosin heads
Plateau is seen
SIZE PRINCIPLE:
GANONG: in general, a specific muscle action is
developed first by the recruitment of S muscle
units that contract relatively slowly to produce
controlled contraction. Next, FR muscle units are
recruited, resulting to more powerful response
over a shorter period of time. Lastly, FF muscle
units are recruited for the most demanding task (
[S] slow, [FR] fast resistant to fatigue and [FF] fast
fatigable
GUYTON: when the central nervous system sends
a weak signal to contract a muscle, the smaller
motor units of the muscle may be stimulated in

preference to the larger motor units. Then, as the

strength of the signal increases, larger and larger
motor units begin to be excited as well, with the
largest motor units having as much as 50 times
the contractile force of the smallest unit
Types of muscle fibers:
o Type 1
Small, slow oxidative muscles
Activated first
More sensitive to stimulation
o Type 2
Large diameter and stronger muscles
White anaerobic
In cases of emergency- may be
recruited first
o See table for reference
LENGTH OF SARCOMERE:
o When the muscle is in its resting length it can generate
the maximum response
To attain the maximal contraction
You will never attain maximal contraction when the
sarcomere length is greater than or less than the
resting length

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION
PHYSIOLOGY
1.5.1 MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY (DR. BARBON)