Skeletal Muscle Fiber Types

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary source of ATP for glycolytic fibers?

  • Aerobic respiration
  • Oxidative phosphorylation
  • Mitochondrial activity
  • Glycolysis (correct)

What is the function of myoglobin in oxidative fibers?

  • To slow down muscle contractions
  • To facilitate glycolysis
  • To store oxygen (correct)
  • To release ATP

Which type of fiber has a larger diameter and less myoglobin?

  • Oxidative fiber
  • Fast-twitch fiber
  • Slow-twitch fiber
  • Glycolytic fiber (correct)

What is the characteristic of fast-twitch fibers in terms of muscle contractions?

<p>They enable brief, rapid, powerful contractions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between oxidative and glycolytic fibers in terms of energy supply?

<p>Oxidative fibers use aerobic respiration, while glycolytic fibers use glycolysis (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of meat is composed of glycolytic fibers?

<p>Light meat (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers in terms of contraction speed?

<p>The rate at which their myosin heads hydrolyze ATP (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of fibers are exclusively found in the muscles of the eye and hand?

<p>Fast-twitch fibers (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to some fast glycolytic fibers when a muscle is used repeatedly for activities requiring high endurance?

<p>They become fast oxidative fibers (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is unique about the muscles surrounding the gas-filled swim bladder of the male toadfish?

<p>They can contract and relax more than 200 times per second (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between vertebrate cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle?

<p>Vertebrate cardiac muscle can initiate rhythmic depolarization and contraction without nervous system input (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of intercalated disks in vertebrate cardiac muscle?

<p>To electrically couple each cardiac muscle cell to the adjacent cells (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of smooth muscle cells in vertebrates?

<p>Their thick filaments are scattered throughout the cytoplasm (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do smooth muscle cells regulate contraction?

<p>Through the binding of Ca2+ to calmodulin (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a difference between smooth muscle and striated muscle?

<p>Smooth muscle contracts and relaxes more slowly (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a function of dense bodies in smooth muscle cells?

<p>To attach thin filaments (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of myoglobin in oxidative fibers?

<p>To bind oxygen more tightly (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between oxidative and glycolytic fibers in terms of their structure?

<p>The amount of myoglobin (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of fibers are specialized for brief, rapid, and powerful contractions?

<p>Fast-twitch fibers (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of many mitochondria in oxidative fibers?

<p>To enable efficient use of a steady energy supply (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of dark meat in poultry and fish?

<p>It is composed of oxidative fibers (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of fibers are more prone to fatigue?

<p>Glycolytic fibers (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the reason for the difference in contraction speed between slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers?

<p>The rate of ATP hydrolysis by myosin heads (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of cardiac muscle cells that allows them to initiate rhythmic depolarization and contraction?

<p>The ability to initiate rhythmic depolarization and contraction without nervous system input (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of Ca2+ in smooth muscle cells?

<p>To activate the myosin head and enable cross-bridge activity (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference in the way Ca2+ regulates contraction in smooth muscle cells compared to striated muscle cells?

<p>Smooth muscle cells have a different mechanism of Ca2+ regulation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of repeated use of a muscle for activities requiring high endurance?

<p>The muscle becomes more resistant to fatigue (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is unique about the muscles surrounding the gas-filled swim bladder of the male toadfish?

<p>They can contract and relax more than 200 times per second (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of dense bodies in smooth muscle cells?

<p>To anchor thin filaments to the plasma membrane (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle?

<p>Skeletal muscle is voluntary, while cardiac muscle is involuntary (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference in the contraction speed between slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers?

<p>Fast-twitch fibers contract five times faster than slow-twitch fibers (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of smooth muscle cells that allows them to contract and relax more slowly than striated muscle cells?

<p>Less myosin than striated muscle fibers (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Types of Skeletal Muscle Fibers

  • Skeletal muscle fibers are classified based on ATP sources and contraction speed.
  • Oxidative Fibers: Rely primarily on aerobic respiration, characterized by:
    • High number of mitochondria for energy production.
    • Rich blood supply to facilitate oxygen delivery.
    • Significant amounts of myoglobin, which binds oxygen tightly, enabling efficient oxygen extraction from blood.
  • Glycolytic Fibers: Predominantly use glycolysis for ATP, featuring:
    • Larger diameter and lower myoglobin content.
    • Faster fatigue compared to oxidative fibers.
    • Visible distinction in meat: dark meat (oxidative fibers) versus light meat (glycolytic fibers) in poultry and fish.

Fast-Twitch and Slow-Twitch Fibers

  • Fast-Twitch Fibers:
    • Contract faster, developing tension 2-3 times quicker than slow-twitch fibers.
    • Allow for brief, powerful contractions.
    • Can be glycolytic or oxidative.
  • Slow-Twitch Fibers:
    • Have less sarcoplasmic reticulum and slow Ca2+ pumping, resulting in longer muscle twitches (up to five times longer than fast-twitch fibers).
    • All slow-twitch fibers are oxidative.
  • Human skeletal muscles contain mixed types, with muscles in the eye and hand being exclusively fast-twitch.
  • Genetic factors determine the relative composition of fast and slow fibers in a muscle.
  • With repeated endurance training, some fast glycolytic fibers may convert to fast oxidative fibers, increasing resistance to fatigue.

Specialized Muscle Fibers

  • Superfast muscle fibers found in certain vertebrates produce rapid movements, such as:
    • The rattlesnake's rattle and dove's coo.
    • Male toadfish muscles can contract over 200 times per second to produce a mating call.

Other Types of Muscle

  • Cardiac Muscle:
    • Striated, found only in the heart.
    • Can spontaneously initiate contractions without neural input.
    • Action potentials in cardiac cells are longer (up to 20 times longer than skeletal muscle).
    • Intercalated disks electrically couple cardiac muscle cells, allowing synchronized contraction.
  • Smooth Muscle:
    • Found in hollow organs (e.g., blood vessels, digestive tract).
    • Lacks striations; actin and myosin are scattered, not regularly arranged.
    • Can contract in response to autonomic nervous system stimulation or autonomously through electrical coupling.
    • Contractions are slower than striated muscles, regulated by calcium ions interacting with calmodulin instead of a troponin complex.

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