Muscular System

What neurotransmitter stimulates muscle

contraction?

Acetylcholine
(ACh)
What causes a muscle contraction to stop
physiologically?

Muscle contraction usually stops when signalling from the motor

neuron ends. A muscle also can stop contracting when it runs out of
ATP and becomes fatigued.
What is the role of calcium in muscle
contraction?

Calcium triggers contraction by reaction and binding with regulatory

proteins. This exposes the active-binding sites on the actin. The high
energy myosin head bridges the gap.
Explain the sliding filament theory

The sliding filament theory explains the mechanism of muscle

contraction based on muscle proteins that slide past each other to
generate movement.
According to this theory, myosin filaments use energy from ATP to
“walk” along the actin filaments with their cross bridges. This pulls the
actin filaments closer together. The movement of the actin filaments
also pulls the Z lines closer together, thus shortening the sarcomere.
When all the sarcomeres in a muscle fiber shorten, the fiber contracts.
Skeletal muscle
• Striated & voluntary
• This facilitates locomotion/movement
• Joined to bones by the tendons
• Found in antagonistic pairs
• Allow for all-or-none contractions
Smooth Muscle
• Non-striated & involuntary
• Lines the viscera of the body
Cardiac Muscle
• Striated & Involuntary
• The muscle of the heart
• Muscle fibres are short, branched and interconnected