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Questions and Answers
What does the top of the contraction illustration represent?
What does the top of the contraction illustration represent?
How does the size of the motor unit vary?
How does the size of the motor unit vary?
In which type of muscle units does a stimulus take longer to reach muscle fibers?
In which type of muscle units does a stimulus take longer to reach muscle fibers?
What determines the size of the motor unit?
What determines the size of the motor unit?
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How can the magnitude of a muscle contraction be altered?
How can the magnitude of a muscle contraction be altered?
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Which factor influences how quickly nerve impulses travel through axons?
Which factor influences how quickly nerve impulses travel through axons?
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What initiates muscle contraction by initiating the release of calcium ions?
What initiates muscle contraction by initiating the release of calcium ions?
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What happens during an eccentric muscle contraction?
What happens during an eccentric muscle contraction?
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What causes troponin to reposition tropomyosin molecules?
What causes troponin to reposition tropomyosin molecules?
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In an isometric contraction, what does the muscle fiber do?
In an isometric contraction, what does the muscle fiber do?
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What happens in a shortening crossbridge contraction?
What happens in a shortening crossbridge contraction?
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What is the process called when the thin filaments slide past the thick filaments in a sarcomere?
What is the process called when the thin filaments slide past the thick filaments in a sarcomere?
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Which type of muscle contraction results in the shortening of the muscle fiber?
Which type of muscle contraction results in the shortening of the muscle fiber?
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What occurs when a muscle actively resists motion created by an external force?
What occurs when a muscle actively resists motion created by an external force?
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What is the role of ATP in generating tension during muscle contraction?
What is the role of ATP in generating tension during muscle contraction?
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During an eccentric contraction, how is tension generated by the muscle?
During an eccentric contraction, how is tension generated by the muscle?
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In muscle contraction, what binds with actin when receptor sites on actin are free?
In muscle contraction, what binds with actin when receptor sites on actin are free?
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What happens in a muscle fiber when the force created by cross-bridge cycling matches the external force?
What happens in a muscle fiber when the force created by cross-bridge cycling matches the external force?
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Study Notes
Muscle Contractions
- There are two main types of muscle contractions: concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening).
- In a concentric contraction, thin filaments are pulled toward thick filaments, and tension is generated as cross-bridges are formed and re-formed.
- In an eccentric contraction, thin filaments are pulled away from thick filaments, and cross-bridges are broken and re-formed as the muscle lengthens.
Cross-Bridge Cycle
- The cross-bridge cycle involves the formation and re-formation of cross-bridges between myosin and actin filaments.
- The cycle consists of rest, coupling, and contraction stages.
- ATP is attached near the head of the cross-bridge, and calcium ions are stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Muscle Structure and Function
- Muscle contraction is initiated by a nerve impulse at the motor end plate, which evokes an action potential that travels along the muscle fiber.
- The action potential releases calcium ions, which cause troponin to reposition tropomyosin molecules, making receptor sites on actin available for myosin to bind.
Types of Muscle Contraction
- Isometric contraction: muscle contracts without changing length, generating tension as cross-bridges are re-formed.
- Concentric contraction: muscle shortens as thin filaments slide toward thick filaments, accompanied by the formation and re-formation of cross-bridges.
- Eccentric contraction: muscle lengthens as thin filaments are pulled away from thick filaments, with cross-bridges breaking and re-forming.
Motor Units
- Motor units vary in size, structure, and function from muscle to muscle.
- The size of the motor unit is determined by the number of muscle fibers and the type of muscle fibers.
- The contraction of the entire muscle is the result of many motor units firing asynchronously and repeatedly.
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Description
Test your knowledge on muscle contractions where thin filaments are pulled away from thick filaments in an eccentric contraction. Understand the process of cross-bridges being broken and reformed as muscles lengthen, generating tension.