Muscle Physiology Quiz

The point where the nerve meets the muscle fiber, allowing for communication between the nervous system and the muscle.

Muscle fibers that are responsible for generating force and movement.

Muscle fibers that are located within muscle spindles, which are sensory organs that detect muscle stretch.

A group of muscle fibers that are innervated by a single motor neuron.

The process by which a muscle contracts, involving the sliding of filaments within the muscle fiber.

Movement of a limb towards the body, caused by the contraction of a flexor muscle.

Movement of a limb away from the body, caused by the contraction of an extensor muscle.

Two muscles whose contraction produces the same movement, like flexion or extension.

A chemical signal released by neurons to communicate with muscle fibers, causing muscle contraction.

The localized depolarization of the muscle fiber membrane caused by the release of ACh from the motor neuron.

A type of sensory neuron found within muscle spindles that detects changes in muscle length.

These receptors are located within tendons and detect the amount of force or tension exerted by a muscle.

A reflex is an automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus that involves a simple neural pathway, usually involving a sensory neuron, an interneuron, and a motor neuron.

Reflexes are classified based on their complexity and the neural pathways involved. Some common types include the stretch reflex, the withdrawal reflex, and the crossed extensor reflex.

Reflexes can be inhibited by various mechanisms, including descending signals from the brain, presynaptic inhibition, and reciprocal inhibition.

The spinal cord can control some motor behaviors independently of the brain, demonstrating a degree of autonomy.

A reflex arc involving only one synapse between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron.

A reflex arc involving multiple synapses between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron.

A receptor located in the muscle spindle that detects changes in muscle length.

Specialized sensory neurons that carry information about muscle length to the spinal cord.

A receptor located in the tendon that detects changes in muscle tension.

A reflex that inhibits muscle contraction when there is excessive tension or risk of injury.

Neurons located entirely within the spinal cord that connect and modulate the activity of other neurons.

A state of increased muscle tone and stiffness, often observed in animals with brain stem transection.

A rapid involuntary muscular response triggered by a sensory stimulus. It involves a direct neural pathway connecting the sensory receptor to the motor neuron.

The motor neuron that directly innervates the skeletal muscle fibers. It activates muscle contraction.

A type of reflex that involves stretching of the muscle, triggering a muscle contraction. This response is involved in maintaining posture and muscle tone.

A reflex triggered by tapping the patellar tendon below the knee. It causes the quadriceps muscle to contract, extending the leg. It illustrates a monosynaptic stretch reflex.

A system responsible for adjusting the sensitivity of muscle spindles. It helps regulate muscle tone.

A type of motor neurons that are responsible for the adjustment of muscle spindle sensitivity. They innervate the intrafusal fibers within the muscle spindle.

An area of the brain that plays a role in planning and initiating movements, particularly voluntary movements.

A part of the secondary motor cortex involved in learning and performing sequences of movements.

A region within the secondary motor cortex responsible for the perception of control over spontaneous movements.

Information that specifies the exact movement to be done, often based on visual cues or object locations.

Information unrelated to the movement, but still signals what action to perform.

A part of the secondary motor cortex that uses arbitrary information to decide what movement is needed.

Electrical stimulation of this area causes movements that are perceived as automatic and involuntary.

Electrical stimulation of this area often triggers the urge to move or the feeling that movement is about to happen.

The idea that repeated practice of a behavior can combine individual responses into larger, coordinated sequences.

Neurons in the brain that fire both when performing an action and when observing someone else perform that action.

The ability to understand the actions of others by activating the same brain regions that would be used to perform those actions.

A neurological disorder that affects the ability to plan and execute complex voluntary movements.

Apraxia that primarily affects the movements of the arms, hands, and fingers.

In apraxia, movements may be performed correctly in natural situations, but become difficult when consciously planned or described.

The observation of an action activates the same brain regions as if the observer were performing the action, providing a basis for understanding the action.

Repeated practice can establish central sensorimotor programs for specific behaviors, even without conscious thought.