LECTURE IV

SKELETAL MUSCLE
PHYSIOLOGY

BY
REV DR CHARLESANTWI-
BOASIAKO
(PHYSIOLOGIST)

UGMS KORLE-BU
 Specific leaning objectives

By the end of the lecture you should be able to

describe:
 Functional structure of the skeletal muscle
 The function of the thick and thin filaments
 The sliding filament theory of the skeletal
muscle
 The source of energy involved in the
contraction of the muscle
 Types of muscle contraction
 How titanic contraction occurs
 The length tension relationship of the skeletal
muscle
 Types of muscle fibres.
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 Muscle Tissue
 There are three types of muscle tissue in the
body.
 Skeletal muscle: is the type that attaches to
our bones and is used for movement and
maintaining posture.
 Cardiac muscle: is only found in the heart. It
pumps blood.
 Smooth muscle: is found in organs of the
body such as the GI tract. Smooth muscle in
the GI tract moves food and its digested
products.
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 Cardiac Muscle

 Branching cells
 One or two nuclei per cell
 Striated
 Involuntary
 Medium speed contractions

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Smooth Muscle

 Fusiform cells
 One nucleus per cell
 Non-striated
 Involuntary
 Slow, wave-like contractions

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 Skeletal Muscle
 Long cylindrical cells
 Many nuclei per cell
 Striated
 Voluntary
 Rapid contractions

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Characteristics of muscles
 All muscles regardless of their type have 4
characteristics in common.
 Contractility: this quality is possessed by no
other body tissue. When a muscle shortens or
contracts, it reduces the distance between the
parts of its contents or the space it surrounds.
 Extensibility: This means the ability to be
stretched.
 Elasticity: means the ability of a muscle to
return to its original length when relaxing.
 Irritability: means that a muscle will respond
to a stimulus.
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Functions of the skeletal muscles
 Movement- integrated action of muscles,
joints, and bones.
 Posture- such as sitting and standing is
maintained as a result of muscle contraction.
 Joint stability- muscle tendons are the major
factor in stabilizing such joints as the knee and
the shoulder.
 Heat production- to maintain body
temperature is an important by product of
muscle metabolism.
 Nearly 85% of the heat produced in the body is
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the result of muscle contraction. REV. A.B.C. PHYSIOLOGIST
Structure of a skeletal muscle Cell

 They are surrounded by the

sarcolemma—the muscle cell
membrane over which the action
potential is transmitted.

 The sarcolemma has small tube-like

projections called transverse (T)
tubules that extend down into the cell.
 These T tubules conduct the action
potential deep into the cell where the
contractile proteins are located.

 Within the muscle cell are long cylindrical

myofibrils that contain the contractile
proteins of the muscle:
 the thin myofilaments.
 thick myofilaments.
 The myofibrils are surrounded by the
sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). This is a
mesh-like network of tubes containing
calcium ions .
 Microanatomy of Skeletal
Muscle

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 Z line Z line

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Thin Myofilament (actin)
 Made up of three protein molecules

 The thin myofilaments are composed

predominantly of the globular protein
actin.

 Each actin molecule contains a special

binding site for the other contractile
protein myosin.

 Also found on the thin myofilaments are

long protein strands called
tropomyosin. cover the binding sites
for myosin when the muscle is at rest.
 A third regulatory protein, called
troponin.
 This is made up of three subunits.
 troponin A, which binds to actin
 troponin T, which binds to the tropomyosin
 troponin C, which binds with Ca2+.

 At rest, the troponin complex holds the

tropomyosin over the myosin binding
sites.
 Thick Myofilament
 It is made up of the protein myosin.

 This protein has a long, bendable tail

and two heads that can each attach to
the myosin binding sites on actin.

 The heads also have a site that can

bind and split adenosine triphosphate
(ATP).

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 H Band

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 Sarcomere Relaxed

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 Sarcomere Partially
Contracted

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 Sarcomere Completely
Contracted

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 Neuromuscular Junction

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Acetylcholine Opens Na +

Channel
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  The influx of sodium will create an action potential in
the sarcolemma.
 Note: This is the same mechanism for generating
action potentials for the nerve impulse.
 The action potential travels down a T tubule.
 As the action potential passes through the
sarcoplamic reticulum it stimulates the release of
calcium ions.
 Calcium binds with troponin to move tropomyosin
and expose the binding sites.
 Myosin heads attach to the binding sites of the actin
filament and create a power stroke.
 ATP detaches the myosin heads and energizes them
for another contraction.
 The process will continue until the action potentials
cease. Without action potentials the calcium ions will
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Excitation-Contraction
 Excitation- refers to the process by which
an action potential in the cell membrane
(sarcolemma) excites the muscle cell to
produce a muscle contraction.
 The action potential that was generated at
the neuromuscular junction will spread out
over the sarcolemma and down the T-
tubules into the core of the muscle cell.
 This action potential travels very close to the
sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and will open
Ca2+ channels, causing the release of Ca2+
from the terminal cisternae of the SR.
 The Ca2+ will bind to troponin C on the thin
myofilaments, causing tropomyosin to
uncover the myosin binding sites found on
actin. Myosin will now be able to attach to the
actin and a power stroke will occur.
Relaxation of Muscle
 Once action potentials stop, Ca2+ will no
longer diffuse out of the sarcoplasmic
reticulum (SR).
 Special calcium pumps rapidly pump Ca2+
back into the SR, up its concentration
gradient; this requires ATP.
 Without the calcium present in the cytoplasm
of the muscle cell, the tropomyosin will cover
the myosin binding sites once again.
 Myosin will be unable to bind to actin and
power strokes will not occur. The muscle will
relax.
 Muscle Contraction
Summary
 Nerve impulse reaches myoneural junction
 Acetylcholine is released from motor
neuron
 Ach binds with receptors in the muscle
membrane to allow sodium to enter
 Sodium influx will generate an action
potential in the sarcolemma

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 Muscle Contraction
Continued
 Action potential travels down T tubule
 Sarcoplamic reticulum releases calcium
 Calcium binds with troponin to move
the troponin, tropomyosin complex
 Binding sites in the actin filament are
exposed

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 Muscle Contraction
Continued
 Myosin head attach to binding sites and
create a power stroke
 ATP detaches myosin heads and energizes
them for another contaction
 When action potentials cease the muscle
stop contracting

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Contraction of whole muscle
 Muscle produce contractions of variable
grades.
 The number of muscle fibers contracting
 The tension developed by each fiber

Motor unite
 One motor neuron plus all the muscle
fibers it enervates (causes to contract).
 Motor unit recruitment
 Motor Unit
All the muscle cells controlled by
one nerve cell

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Muscle twitch

 The quick contraction and relaxation of

the muscle when stimulated with a single
electric shock of sufficient voltage

 Summation

 Tetanization
 Complete
 Incomplete
Relationship of velocity of contraction and load
Length tension relationship
 Energetics muscle contraction.
 The energy is required to:
 Formthe cross bridges
 Pump Ca2+ from the sarcoplasm to SR
 Pump Na+ and K+ across the membrane.

 ATP (rephosphorelation)
 Phosphocreatine
 Glycogen
 Oxidative metabolism
Types of fibers
 Type I (slow,oxidative,red)
 Smaller fiber
 Slow ATPase activity of myosin head
 More extensive blood supply
 More capillaries
 High number of mitochondria
 Large number of aerobic respiratory
enzymes
 Fiber contains large amount of myoglobin.
 Type II (Fast, glycolytic, white)
 Much larger fibers for great strength of
contraction
 Fast ATPase activity of myosin head
 Extensive sarcoplasmic reticulum for rapid
release of Ca++ for contraction.
 Large amount of glycolytic enzyme for
glycolysis
 Less extensive blood supply
 Less capillaries
 Few mitochondria
 Muscle Fatigue
 Muscle fatigue is often due to a lack of
oxygen that causes ATP deficit.
 Lactic acid builds up from anaerobic
respiration.
 Lactic acid fatigues the muscle.

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 Muscle Atrophy
 Weakening and shrinking of a muscle
 May be caused
 Immobilization
 Loss of neural stimulation

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 Muscle Hypertrophy
 Hypertrophy is the enlargement of a muscle.

 Hypertrophied muscles have more capillaries

and more mitochondria to help them generate
more energy.

 Strenuous exercise and steroid hormones can

induce muscle hypertrophy.

 Since men produce more steroid hormones than

women, they usually have more hypertrophied
muscles.
Muscle Hypertrophy

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