Static Response of the Muscle Spindle

• Response of primary and secondary ending to length of

receptor
• When the center of spindle is stretched slowly - the number
of impulses generated
– by the primary and secondary endings increases
– in proportion to the degree of stretch.
• Continue to transmit impulses for several minutes - ‘static
response’.
• Both primary and secondary endings continue to transmit
signals for several minutes.
• Nuclear chain fibers involved
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 Dynamic response
• Response of the Primary Ending (but Not the
Secondary Ending)
– to Rate of Change of Receptor Length
– “Dynamic” Response

• When the length of the spindle receptor increases

suddenly.
• The primary ending (but not the secondary ending) is
stimulated especially powerfully.
Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
 Dynamic response
• Dynamic response - means that the primary ending
responds extremely actively to a rapid rate of change in
spindle length
• Even when the length of a spindle receptor increases only a
fraction of a micrometer,
– in a fraction of a second,
– the primary receptor transmits tremendous numbers of excess impulses
to Ia nerve fiber
– only while the length is actually increasing.
• As soon as the length stops increasing,
– this extra rate of impulse discharge returns to the level of the
much smaller static response
• Nuclear Bag fibers
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 Control of Intensity of the Static and
Dynamic Responses by the Gamma Motor
Nerves

• Gamma-static (gamma-s)
– Excites mainly the nuclear chain intrafusal fibers

– Enhances the static response

• Gamma dynamic (gamma-d)

– Excites mainly the nuclear bag intrafusal fibers

– Dynamic response of the muscle spindle

Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.

 Continuous Discharge of the Muscle
Spindles Under Normal Conditions.

• When there is some degree of gamma nerve excitation,

• The muscle spindles emit sensory nerve impulses
continuously.
– Stretching the muscle spindles increases the rate of firing,
– Shortening the spindle decreases the rate of firing.

• The spindles can send to the spinal cord

– Positive signals —that is, increased numbers of impulses
to indicate stretch of a muscle—or
– Negative signals —below-normal numbers of impulses to
indicate that the muscle is unstretched.
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 Muscle Spindle

Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.

 • This combined stimulation of the
– alpha and
– gamma efferent neurons
– sets up a situation in which there will
automatically be an increase in tension of the
muscle if the load is too heavy.

• This combined stimulation of the two neuron

types is called alpha-gamma co-activation.

Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.

 Control of the Gamma Motor
System (Fusimotor System)

• Gamma signal excited by the bulboreticular

facilatory area of the brain stem.
• Secondarily by areas that send impulses to
this area.
– Cerebellum, basal ganglia, cortex
• Little is known about the precise control of
this system.

Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.

 Physiologic Functions of the
Muscle Spindle

i. Comparator of length between the intrafusal

and extrafusal muscle fiber.
ii. Opposes a change in length of the muscle.
iii. When the muscle is stretched the spindle
returns it to its original length.
iv. Leads to the stretch reflex.
v. Positive signals indicating stretch ,increase
firing
vi. Negative signals decrease signals, unstretch

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 Golgi tendon organ
• Encapsulated sensory receptor through which muscle
tendon fibers pass– Ib fibres
• 10 to 15 muscle fibers are usually connected to each
Golgi tendon organ
• The organ is stimulated when this small bundle of
muscle fibers is “tensed” by contracting or stretching
the muscle
• The Golgi tendon organ detects muscle tension
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 Golgi Tendon Organ
• The tendon organ, like muscle spindle, has both
• Dynamic response
– Responding intensely when the muscle tension
suddenly increases
• Static response
– Settling down within a fraction of a second to a lower
level of steady-state firing that is almost directly
proportional to the muscle tension
• Provide the CNS with instantaneous information on the
degree of tension in each muscle segment
• .
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Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
 Golgi Tendon Reflex

• Mediated by the Golgi tendon organ receptor

located in the tendon.

• This receptor responds to tension.

• When the tension becomes too great, the reflex

inhibits the motor fibers attached to the tendon.

• Function is to equalize force among muscle fibers.

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 Golgi tendon reflex
• The Golgi tendon reflex is a normal component of the
reflex arc of the peripheral nervous system.
• In a Golgi tendon reflex, skeletal muscle contraction
causes the antagonist muscle to simultaneously
lengthen and relax.
• This reflex is also called the inverse myotatic reflex,
because it is the inverse of the stretch reflex.
• Though muscle tension is increasing during the
contraction, alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord
supplying the muscle are inhibited. However,
antagonistic muscles are activated

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 Function of Golgi tendon
reflux
• The Golgi tendon reflex protects the skeletal muscle from
excessively heavy loads by causing the muscle to relax
and drop the load
• First, as a load is placed on the muscle, the afferent
neuron from the Golgi tendon organ fires into the central
nervous system.
• Second, the motor neuron from the spinal cord is
inhibited via an IPSP and muscle relaxes.
• Recently, however, this information has proven to be
inaccurate since the GTO cannot create sufficient
inhibition .

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 Contrast to stretch reflex
• The stretch reflex operates as a feedback mechanism to control
muscle length by causing muscle contraction.
• In contrast, the tendon reflex operates as a feedback mechanism
to control muscle tension by causing muscle relaxation before
muscle force becomes so great that tendons might be torn.
• Although the tendon reflex is less sensitive than the stretch reflex,
it can override the stretch reflex when tension is great, making
you drop a very heavy weight,

• The sensory receptors for this reflex are called tendon Golgi
receptors, which lie within a tendon near its junction with a
muscle.
• In contrast to muscle spindles, which are sensitive to changes in
muscle length, tendon organs detect and respond to changes in
muscle tension that are caused by passive stretch or muscular
contraction.

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 Steps -GTR
1- Nerve impulses (action potentials) arise and
propagate into the spinal cord along a sensory
neuron.
2- within the spinal cord (integrating center) the
sensory neuron activates an inhibitory interneuron
that makes a synapse with a motor neuron.
3- the inhibitory neurotransmitter inhibits
(hyperpolarizes) the motor neuron which then
generates nerve impulses.
4- the muscle relaxes and excess tension relieved.

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 Golgi Tendon Reflex
• Opposite effect of stretch reflex
– Muscle relaxation and lengthening in response to
contraction
• Polysynaptic
• Muscle tension increases during contraction
– Golgi tendon organs activates  afferent impulse Ib 
spinal cord  Cerebellum
• At same time motor neurons in cord supplying contracting
muscle inhibited
– Antagonistic muscles activated
• Reciprocal activation
–Contracting muscle relaxed, antagonistic activated
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 Functions of Golgi tendon reflex

• Entirely inhibitory - provides a negative feedback

mechanism
– that prevents the development of too much
tension on the muscle.
• Lengthening reaction
– Tension on muscle/tendon increase – sudden
relaxation - prevent tearing/avulsion
• Equalize contractile force among the Muscle Fibers
• Helps in maintaining posture

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 Transmission of Stretch
Information to Higher Centers

• Muscle spindle and Golgi tendon signals are

transmitted to higher centers.

• This informs the brain of the tension and stretch of

the muscle.

• Information is transmitted at 120 m/sec.

• Important for feedback control of motor activity.

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