Reference no: EM133284188

Assignment - Please answer each question. Be specific and clear about what it asks you in the questions when writing the answers.

Chapter 12 - Muscle Physiology

1. Describe the basic differences between the three types of muscle.

2. Briefly define the following terms: sarcolemma, T tubules, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and terminal cisternae/lateral sacs. Understand the importance of the triad structure in muscle physiology.

3. Describe a neuromuscular junction and its components. Know the NT and receptor used and how membrane potential in the muscle cell is affected by NT binding.

4. Briefly describe the relationship of motor neurons to muscle cells (how many motor neurons affect one muscle cell? And how many muscle cells are affected by one motor neuron?)

5. Define "motor unit" and understand how these are used to vary contraction strength.

6. Briefly describe the benefits of small motor units and large motor units.

7. Explain the sliding filament model and the significance of sarcomeres. Understand the basic structural arrangement of the thick and thin filaments in sarcomeres.

8. Explain the steps of the crossbridge cycle. Understand how ATP hydrolysis is used to drive this cycle and the role of calcium in muscle contraction.

9. Explain the steps involved in muscle excitation.

10. Define end-plate potential.

11. Explain excitation-contraction coupling, the steps involved, and why this must happen to produce contraction. Understand how the triad structure is involved and how the components are physically associated.

12. Explain the effect of calcium on thin filaments.

13. Explain the steps involved in muscle relaxation.

14. Describe what a muscle twitch is and the phases of a twitch.

15. Describe isotonic vs. isometric twitches.

16. Explain the factors that influence the force generated by an entire muscle.

Explain the factors that influence the force generated by an individual muscle fiber.

Describe how frequency of stimulation affects muscle contraction.

Explain summation and tetanus.

Understand how fiber diameter contributes to the force generated by a myofiber.

Explain how muscle fiber length at the onset of contraction impacts tension.

Explain recruitment and its significance in control over muscle force generation.

17. Know the cellular processes that require ATP in muscle cells.

18. Briefly describe the 3 ways muscle cells can produce ATP.

19. Explain the role of the creating phosphate system. Understand the reaction and how the law of mass action can be applied to understand the net direction that the reaction will proceed at rest vs when ATP demands increase in exercise.

20. Understand the basic differences in the ways muscle cells will produce ATP in light exercise vs heavy exercise.

21. Describe the two classifications for skeletal muscle fibers.

22. Describe the 3 major classes of skeletal muscle fibers (know the characteristics of slow oxidative and fast glycolytic fibers).

23. Briefly explain muscle fatigue and the various factors that can result in fatigue.

24. Describe the structure of cardiac muscle tissue and the importance of gap junctions.

25. Explain the importance of the long AP duration in cardiac muscle cells.

26. Explain the term "myogenic".

27. Describe the basic structure of smooth muscle cells and the differences in their myofilaments.

28. Understand where smooth muscle is located throughout the body.

29. Explain the importance of gap junctions in smooth muscle tissue.

30. Briefly describe the differences in smooth muscle contraction compared to skeletal muscle.

31. Describe the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in smooth muscle.

32. Describe relaxation in smooth muscle.

33. Understand the control of smooth muscle by the ANS.

34. Describe single-unit smooth muscle vs. multi-unit smooth muscle. Understand the benefits of each and where each type would be useful in the body.