PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology
PHYSIOLOGICAL ANATOMY OF SKELETAL M.
Myofibril
] Each muscle fiber contains densely arranged
spiral array of cylindrical elements
] Essentially an end-to-end chain of regular
repeating units or sarcomeres
¨ Portion of myofibril that lies between 2
successive Z discs
¨ When muscle fiber is contracted, length of
sarcomere is 2 microm
– Actin completely overlap with myosin
& actin tips are beginning to overlap
one another
] Composed of large, polymerized protein
molecules responsible for muscle contraction
(myofilaments)
¨ Thick filaments are myosin
¨ Thin filaments are actin
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¨ Partially interdigitate causing alternating
light & dark bands7
– I bands – light, only actin, isotropic to
polarized light
– A bands – dark, myosin & ends of
actin, anisotropic to polarized light
¨ Z disc – ends of actin filaments attach here
– Actin extend in both directions to
interdigitate with myosin
– Made of filamentous proteins different
from actin & myosin
– Passes crosswise across myofibril &
crosswise from myofibril to myofibril
Titin Filaments
] Filamentous molecules of protein maintaining
the side-by-side relationship between myosin &
actin
] Very springy
] Act as framework holding myosin & actin in
place so contractile machinery of sarcomere will
work
] On one end, it is elastic & attached to Z disk
¨ Acts as spring & changes length as
sarcomere contracts & relaxes
] Other end tethers it to myosin thick filament
] May act as template for initial formation of
portions of contractile filaments of sarcomere,
especially myosin
Muscle Fiber / Myofiber
] Smallest unit of skeletal muscle is a
multinucleated, elongated cell
] Enclosed by sarcolemma which fuses with a
tendon fiber
¨ Has true cell membrane (plasma)
¨ Has outer coat of thin layer of
polysaccharide material with thin collagen
fibrils
] Surrounded by endomisium
Fascicle
] Bundle of linearly aligned muscled fibers
Muscle
] Bundles of fascicle
Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology

Transverse Tubules
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

] Action potentials spread to interior of muscle

fiber by way of transverse tubule
] Only in skeletal & cardiac
] Penetrate muscle fiber & surround myofibrils at
2 points in each sarcomere: A & I bands
] Are small & run transverse to myofibrils
] Begin at cell membrane & penetrate all the way ] 2 major parts
from one side of muscle fiber to opposite side ¨ Terminal cisternae – large chambers that
] Branch among themselves & form entire planes abut T tubules
of T tubules interlacing among all separate ¨ Long longitudinal tubules surrounding all
myofibrils surfaces of contracting myofibrils
] Where T tubules originate from cell membrane, ] Within its vesicular tubules is an excess of Ca+
they are open to exterior of muscle fiber in high concentration
] Communicate with ECF surrounding muscle ¨ Many are released from each vesicle when
fiber & contain ECF in their lumens AP occurs in adjacent T tubule
] When an AP spreads over a muscle fiber
membrane, potential change also spreads along T
tubules to deep interior of muscle fiber
] Electrical currents surrounding T tubules elicit
muscle contraction
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Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology

EXCITATION-CONTRACTION COUPLING
] T tubule AP cause the release of Ca+ in muscle
fiber in immediate vicinity of myofibrils
¨ Ca+ cause muscle contractions
] As AP reaches T tubule, voltage change is
sensed by dihydropyridine receptors (DHP)
linked to Ca+-release channels or ryanodine
receptor channels
] Activation of DHP triggers opening of Ca+-
release channels in cisternae & in attached
longitudinal tubules
¨ Channels remain open for few milliseconds
¨ Release Ca+ into sarcoplasm surrounding
myofibrils = contraction
] During repolarization, conformational change in
] Once Ca+ has been released from sarcoplasmic
DHP receptor closes Ca+ release channels
tubules & have diffused among myofibrils,
¨ Ca+ transported from sarcoplasm into SR
muscle contractions continue until Ca+
by ATP-dependent pump SERCA concentration remains high

Removal of Ca+
] May be extruded across cell plasma membrane
] Sequestered within intracellular compartments
] A continually active Ca+ pump in walls of SR
pumps Ca away from myofibril back into
sarcoplasmic tubules
] Inside SR is protein calsequestrin that can bind
to 40x more Ca
¨ Buffers Ca+ within SR lumen
¨ Unload Ca+ in vicinity of Ca+-release
channel = EC coupling
] Important pumps
¨ SERCA
¨ PMCA
¨ Na-Ca Exchanger

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Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology

MUSCLE CONTRACTION
AP travels along motor nerve to NMJ
↓
Nerve secretes small amount of ACh
↓
Opening of ACh gated cation channels
↓
Diffusion of large quantities of Na+ ions
= local depolarization
↓
Opening of voltage-gated Na+ channels
= initiation of AP at membrane
↓
AP travels along muscle fiber & through center of
muscle fiber
↓
SR releases large quantities of Ca+ that have been stored
↓
Ca+ initiate attractive forces between actin & myosin
= slide alongside (contractile process)
↓
Ca+ are pumped back to SR by Ca membrane pump
= ceases of muscle contraction

] Muscle contraction occurs by sliding filament

mechanism
] Myosin head has innate ATP activity

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Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology

ACTIN FILAMENT

] Composed of actin, tropomyosin, & troponin

] Troponin includes troponin I, C, & T
] Inhibited by troponin-tropomyosin complex
] Activation is brough by Ca+

CROSS-BRIDGING

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Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
ISOTONIC vs ISOMETRIC
2 types
Isometric Contraction
] Attachment points are immobile, thereby fixing
muscle length
] Stimulation causes an increase in tension but no
shortening
Isotonic Contraction
] One of 2 attachment points is mobile & force
tends to pull this mobile point away from fixed
one
] Stimulation causes shortening, provided tension
developed by muscle is greater than opposing
load
Tetany
MUSCLE TWITCH
] Contraction-relaxation of a skeletal muscle in
response to single stimulus
] When muscle is activated by single stimulus,
there is a brief lag/latent period
¨ Prior to initiation of tension development
] Rapid shortening or period of contraction
] Slightly longer period of relaxation
SUMMATION
] If a skeletal muscle is stimulated & a 2nd stimulus
is applied before initial contraction has fully
subsided, a 2nd contraction or AP induces a
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Muscle Physiology
twitch that is superimposed on residual tension
of initial twitch
¨ Activates greater isometric tension than the
first
] Adding individual twitch contractions to increase
intensity of overall muscle contraction
] If multiple AP occurs close enough in time, the
multiple features can summate & greatly increase
tension developed
] Summation is more effective at increasing
tension when AP are grouped more closely in
time
1. Multiple fiber summation
¨ Increasing number of motor units contracting
simultaneously
2. Frequency summation
¨ Increasing frequency of contraction
¨ Can lead to tetanization
Tetanization
] When frequency of contraction reaches a critical
level
] Successive contraction eventually become so
rapid that they fuse together
] Whole muscle contraction appears to be smooth
& continuous
] Cannot be maintained for long periods of time
because of fatigue
] Occurs because enough Ca+ are maintained in
muscle sarcoplasm, even between APs
] Full contractile state is sustained without
allowing any relaxation between APs
Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña
PHYSIOLOGY
Muscle Physiology

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Ella Alexa Calingasan-Abrogueña