LABORATORY | PHYSIOLOGY | PT 100

BS Physical Therapy

SECTION II: MUSCULAR PHYSIOLOGY

MUSCLE TWITCH
MOTOR UNIT

▪ It is made up of a motor neuron and the skeletal ▪ A single brief contraction followed by relaxation
muscle fibers innervated by it. due to stimulation of a muscle by a single
➢ Motor units with small ms fibers are activated maximum stimulus
first ▪ Periods
➢ As motor units with larger ms fibers begin to ➢ Latent phase
be excited, contractile strength increases ✓ Lasts for 2 ms
➢ Largest motor units are only activated when ➢ Contraction phase
max contraction is required ✓ Lasts for 10-100 ms
➢ Relaxation phase
✓ Last for 10-100 ms

VELOCITY VS. LOAD

LOAD VS. WORK

STRUCTURE OF A NEURON

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SECTION II - MUSCULAR PHYSIOLOGY
QUANTAL SUMMATION

▪ Recruitment mechanism wherein the degree of ms

contraction increases with increasing stimulus
strength.
➢ More cells are recruited with each increase in
stimulus strength, up to max response at
which time all cells are contracting

WAVE SUMMATION

▪ a.k.a. FREQUENCY SUMMATION

➢ increasing the frequency with which a muscle
is stimulated increases the strength of
contraction

INCOMPLETE VS. COMPLETE FATIGUE

THREE TYPES OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION

▪ ISOTONIC
➢ Concentric
➢ Eccentric
▪ ISOMETRIC
▪ ISOKINETIC
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SECTION II - MUSCULAR PHYSIOLOGY