Questions and Answers
What happens during a single twitch of a skeletal muscle?
Maximal force is never achieved.
What is the phenomenon called when twitches overlap and create a stronger contraction?
Wave summation.
How is wave summation achieved?
By increasing the stimulus frequency.
What is another way to increase the force produced by a muscle?
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Which of the following is not one of the ways that the body can increase the force produced by a skeletal muscle?
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What is the result when a muscle receives a stimulus frequency that causes non-overlapping twitches to follow closely?
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What phenomenon is observed when individual twitches overlap and result in a stronger muscle contraction?
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How is wave summation achieved?
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Do you think you will need to increase the stimulus voltage to produce sustained muscle contractions with an active force value of 5.2 grams?
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Was there any change in the force generated by the muscle during the second stimulated twitch?
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Is the total muscle force generated by higher frequency stimulation greater than the force generated in previous stimulations?
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Does the force generated by the muscle change with each additional stimulus?
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What is treppe?
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What is treppe also known as?
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What occurs during wave summation?
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How is wave summation achieved?
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Study Notes
Muscle Contraction Mechanisms
- Maximal force is not achieved during a single twitch of skeletal muscle.
- Wave summation leads to stronger contractions as twitches overlap due to repetitively stimulating the muscle.
Wave Summation
- Achieved by increasing the frequency of stimulus delivery to the muscle.
- Results in a higher force production by activating more motor units.
- Muscle fibers developing tension can be restimulated before relaxation, causing wave summation.
Treppe Phenomenon
- Treppe is the stepwise increase in muscle tension with successive stimuli, creating a staircase effect.
- Occurs when stimulations are close enough in time that individual twitches overlap.
Force and Voltage Relationship
- To maintain a constant active force (e.g., 5.2 grams), increasing the stimulus voltage is necessary.
- Each stimulus can cause increased muscle force until a maximum limit is reached.
Observations of Stimulation
- The second twitch shows greater muscle force than the first.
- Higher frequency stimulation results in greater total muscle force compared to earlier stimulations.
- Muscle tension increases with each successive stimulus until a limiting maximum value is achieved.
Summary of Terms
- Wave summation: enhanced muscle contraction due to overlapping twitches from increased stimulus frequency.
- Treppe: the progressive increase in force generated by successive muscle stimuli, also known as staircase effect.
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Description
Test your knowledge on key concepts from Exercise 2 of Physiology. This set of flashcards covers important terms and definitions related to muscle contractions, including concepts like maximal force and wave summation. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of muscle physiology.
