Unit 3: Skeletal and Smooth Muscle Physiology

Lecture 9: Smooth Muscle Structure, Contraction, and

Relationships

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast skeletal and smooth muscles.

2. Name/Describe all channels on the smooth muscle cell (and
contrast with skeletal muscle cell).
3. Describe excitation-contraction coupling in the smooth muscle.
4. Contrast and describe the length-tension and force-velocity
relationships.

1
 Unit 3: Skeletal and Smooth Muscle Physiology
Lecture 9: Smooth Muscle Structure, Contraction, and
Relationships

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast skeletal and smooth muscles.

2. Name/Describe all channels on the smooth muscle cell (and
contrast with skeletal muscle cell).
3. Describe excitation-contraction coupling in the smooth muscle.
4. Contrast and describe the length-tension and force-velocity
relationships.

2
3
1) Skeletal vs. Smooth

4
1) Skeletal vs. Smooth
Autonomic Nervous System
Varicosities – No transverse tubules

5
1) Skeletal vs. Smooth

6
1) Multi-Unit vs. Single-Unit

7
1) Multi-Unit vs. Single-Unit

8
1) Phasic Contraction

single-unit
smooth muscle

Time

9
1) Phasic Activation (Purple/Red)

10
1) Pacemaker Potentials

11
1) Phasic vs. Tonic Contraction

single-unit
smooth muscle

multi-unit
smooth muscle

Time
12
1) Tonic Activation (Green/Blue)

13
No Yes

14
 Unit 3: Skeletal and Smooth Muscle Physiology
Lecture 9: Smooth Muscle Structure, Contraction, and
Relationships

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast skeletal and smooth muscles.

2. Name/Describe all channels on the smooth muscle cell (and
contrast with skeletal muscle cell).
3. Describe excitation-contraction coupling in the smooth muscle.
4. Contrast and describe the length-tension and force-velocity
relationships.

15
 2) Calcium
From SR (very few compared to skeletal)

16
No Yes

17
 Unit 3: Skeletal and Smooth Muscle Physiology
Lecture 9: Smooth Muscle Structure, Contraction, and
Relationships

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast skeletal and smooth muscles.

2. Name/Describe all channels on the smooth muscle cell (and
contrast with skeletal muscle cell).
3. Describe excitation-contraction coupling in the smooth muscle.
4. Contrast and describe the length-tension and force-velocity
relationships.

18
3) Smooth Muscle Myosin

19
3) Excitation-Contraction Coupling

20
3) Excitation-Contraction Coupling
Smooth muscle contraction may occur in the absence of an action potential.

Actin?
21
 3) Latch State
Unique property of smooth muscle

Tension maintained

ATPase activity very low

Shortening velocity, phosphorylation and Ca2+ levels are low

22
No Yes

23
 Unit 3: Skeletal and Smooth Muscle Physiology
Lecture 9: Smooth Muscle Structure, Contraction, and
Relationships

Learning Objectives:

1. Contrast skeletal and smooth muscles.

2. Name/Describe all channels on the smooth muscle cell (and
contrast with skeletal muscle cell).
3. Describe excitation-contraction coupling in the smooth muscle.
4. Contrast and describe the length-tension and force-velocity
relationships.

24
4) Force-Velocity Relationship

25
No Yes

26
4) Force-Velocity Relationship

27
4) Length-Tension Relationship
smooth muscle skeletal muscle

28