EXCITATION

OF SKELETAL
MUSCLES
E F F O R T S B Y: R A H M A
SAJJAD(2202788)

H A I FA A B D U L - N A S S E R ( 2 1 0 1 3 6 4 )
Index
• Physiological anatomy of neuromuscular
junction

• Acetylcholine

• Muscle action potential

• Myasthenia gravis
 Skeletal
muscles
• Voluntary in action
• Long fibrous bundles
• Striated appearance under microscope
• Contains alternating myosin and actin
filaments
• Ca+ and Na+ ion dependent

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA • Requires acetylcholine

Neuromuscular
junction

• Neuron ending at center of skeletal muscle ,

• Myelinated , extends from spinal cord horn as motor neuron
• Motor neuron branches to form neuromuscular junction over each
muscle
• Also called as motor end plate
Neuromuscular
junction anatomy

• Nerve terminal
• Synaptic gutter
• Synaptic cleft
• Motor end plate
• Sarcolemma
• Sub neural cleft
• T tubules
• Ssarcoplasmic reticulum
acetylcholine

• Synthesized in motor neurons and transported to nerve endings

by axoplasm
• Ester of aceticacid+choline = acetylcholine
• Requires presence of choline acetyltransferase enzyme
• ATP dependent reaction
Release of
acetylcholine
Action potential reaches nerve ending and
open Ca+ voltage mediated gates
Large calcium Intake activates synapsin
protein
Synapsin anchors acetylcholine vesicles to
cytoskeleton
Acetylcholine align on cell membrane and
diffuse outwards
Acetylcholine released in synaptic cleft
Acetylcholine
function
• Acetylcholine binds to acetylcholine receptors
• These receptors are arranged in circular group
forming channel for Na+
• Acetylcholine receptor open up
• Na ions flow in
• local depolarization
• Contraction
acetylcholine
destruction

After contraction acetylcholine are destroyed to prevent

muscular spasm. They are destroyed by

• Acetylcholine esterase

• Diffusion
acetylcholine
regeneration

• Pit formation due to clatherin protein

• enzymes and proteins essential for regeneration of

acetylcholine

• Mainly acetate and choline

Agonist
chemicals
Certain chemicals have same effect as acetylcholine and
alters function of acetylcholine esterase enzyme. These
includes

Drugs that takes longer to get destroyed

• Carbochol

• Nicotine

Drugs that prevent action of acetylcholineesterase

• Neostigmine

• Physostigmine

• Diisofluorophosphate

• TEPP

• Serine
Antagonistic chemicals

Certain chemicals prevent nerve impulse from reaching into muscle fiber thereby preventing contraction
completely these include

• Curariform

• Botulin from clostridium botulin bacteria

Muscle contraction mechanism

Arrival of action Inflow of calcium from

Acetylcholine binding Influx of Na+ in muscle
potential at neuron voltage mediated Acetylcholine release
to receptors fiber
ending calcium gates

Binding of myosin head

Activation of ryanodine Sarcoplasmic reticulum Binding of ca+ to
Local depolarization on myosin-head binding
protein Ca+ release troponin of actin
site

Resorption of Ca+ into

Detachment of Ca+ myosin head
Contraction sarcoplasmic reticulum Contraction stops
from troponin detachment from actin
by calsequestrin protein
Myasthenia
gravis
• Autosomal recessive disease

• Characterized by formation of antibodies against

acetylcholine receptors
• Symptoms includes

• weakness of the eye muscles

• Drooping of one or both eyelids

• Blurred or double vision

• Treatment

• Cholinesterase inhibitors

• Corticosteroids.

• Immunosuppressants.
Thank you
for
listening