What are muscle fibers?

Individual muscle cell

What are 4 characteristics of muscle cells?

Striated
Multinucleated
Terminally Differentiated will not undergo mitosis
Part of the somatic nervous system (voluntary)

What is the sarcolemma?

Cell membrane surrounding the muscle cell.

What are myofibrils? What are myofilaments?

A bundle of myofibrils make up the muscle fiber.
Myofibrils are composed of microfilaments

What is a sarcomere?
Contractile unit of striated muscle

What 2 proteins make up the myofilament?

ACTIN (thin filament) and MYOSIN (thick filament)

What is the A band?

Region of overlapping thick and thin filaments

What is the I band?

Region of ONLY thin filaments

What is the H band?

Region of ONLY thick filaments

What is the Z band?

Region where ends of thin filaments are connected

What happens to the bands during muscle contraction?

I band and H band shorten; A band stays the same

What is the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)? What is its function?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum found surrounding myofibrils
The SR stores intracellular Ca2+

What is necessary for muscle contraction?

The release of calcium ion from SR

What are T-tubules?

Invagination of SR between myofibrils

What is the end plate?

Area on skeletal muscle where ACh binds to nicotinic N1/NM receptors

What is the end plate potential (EPP)?

Depolarization at the end plate due to influx of Na+ in the sarcolemma.

Describe how an action potential on the motor neuron is

converted to EPP

1. Action potential arrives at the post-synaptic terminal; action potential is converted

to chemical signal- ACh, which is release within vesicles
2. SNARE proteins prime the vesicle for fusion. Action potential at the presynaptic
terminal triggers the release of calcium ions that bind to SYNAPTOTAGMIN and
vesicle fusion occurs
3. ACh is released binding to nicotinic receptors; Na+ ion channels open and sodium
flows into the sarcolemma.
4. Depolarization triggers opening of voltage-gated sodium channel.

5. EPP is initiated and action potential travels down the muscle fiber
What are dihydropyridine receptors (DHP)?

Trans-membrane proteins that affect the conformation of ryanodine receptors (RyR)

How many dihydropyridine receptors are associated with each

ryanodine?
4 dihydropyridine receptors for 1 ryanodine receptors

What is the function of ryanodine receptors (RyR)?

They allow the diffusion of Ca2+ out of the SR into cytosol of cell

What is the purpose of releasing calcium ions?

Ca2+ binds to troponin causing it to move tropomyosin, exposing myosin binding sites on
ACTIN

What keeps myosin in a relax state?

An ATP bound to its ATP binding site

How is myosin prepped for reaction with Actin?

ATP on myosin is hydrolyzed to ADP and Pi, this causes a cross bridge between ACTIN
and MYOSIN
When bound to ACTIN, MYOSIN undergoes conformational change that results in the
release of ADP and Pi. This forms a Power Stroke.

What is Power Stroke?

Conformational change of myosin upon release of ADP and Pi which pulls actin

What occurs when new ATP binds to MYOSIN?

Myosin returns to its resting state

How many times can this cycle be generated?

As long as cytoplasmic calcium ion levels remain high

Describe how the muscle fiber contracts after action potential

propagates in the muscle plasma membrane
1. Action potential propagates into T-tubules
2. Change in membrane potential, creates conformational change in dihydropyridine
receptors (DHP)
3. Change in DHP conformation induce change in ryanodine receptors RyR which
allows release of calcium ion into cell cytosol (efflux)
4. Calcium ion binds to TROPONIN which drags TROPOMYOSIN off, exposing myosin
binding site on ACTIN.
5. ATP on myosin is hydrolyzed, which forms a cross-bridge between myosin and
actin.

6. Release of ADP and Pi, creates conformational changes in Myosin which pulls
actin

What removes calcium from cytoplasm of SR?

Ca2+ ATPase pump in SR membrane

What occurs after calcium is removed?

Tropomyosin blocks myosin binding site on Actin