MUSCLE CELLS

 are excitable cells.

 can transmit action potential along
their cell membrane.
 convert chemical energy into a
mechanical response
Physiologic Properties of Muscle Cells
 IRRITABILITY OR EXCITABILITY

 CONDUCTIVITY

 CONTRACTILITY
 THREE MAJOR TYPES OF MUSCLES

TYPES SKELETAL CARDIAC SMOOTH

Striations prominent less prominent none

Location begins and ends heart hollow

in a tendon organs/eyes

Shape long, cylindrical cylindrical spindle-shaped

multinucleated branched mononucleated
mono/binucleated
Anatomical / absent present present (unitary)
functional (Intercalated disc) absent (multiunit)
connections
Special makes up the great pacemaker cells pacemaker cells
features mass of somatic syncytial function syncytial function
musculature (unitary)
Innervation under voluntary under involuntary under involuntary
control control control
Primary Function
 generate a force or movement in
response to a physiological
stimulus by transducing chemical
or electrical stimuli into a
mechanical response.
 MUSCLE
SKELETAL MUSCLE (Epimysium)

FASCICULUS

(Perimysium)

MUSCLE FIBER

(Endomysium)

MYOFIBRILS

MYOFILAMENTS

SARCOMERE
MUSCLE FIBER
SARCOMERE
Myofilaments
Provides structural link between
subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton of
the muscle and extracellular matrix

Stabilizes sarcolemma and hence

prevents contraction induced
injury
Muscular Dystrophy
 Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy
 manifested by severe muscle wasting
 x-linked recessive disease linked to a defect
in dystropin gene.
Neuromuscular Junction
EXCITATION-
CONTRACTION COUPLING
 Smooth Muscle

CALCIUM INACTIVE MLCK

CALCIUM-CALMODULIN
COMPLEX
CALMODULIN

INACTIVE MYOSIN
ACTIVE MLCK

ACTIVE MYOSIN
SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
Genetic Disease Causing
Disturbances in Ca++ Homeostasis
 Malignant Hyperthermia (MH)
 Autosomal dominant trait that results in skeletal muscle
rigidity, tachycardia, hyperventilation and hyperthermia
due to uncontrolled release of Ca++ from the SR
 Due to a defect in SR Ca++ release channels (RYR)
which becomes activated .
 This is usually a life threatening consequence in certain
surgical instances caused by anesthetics such as
halothane and other muscle relaxant.
 Central Core Disease (CCD)
 Autosomal dominant trait which reults in muscle
weakness, loss of mitochondria in the core of the
muscle fibers and some disintegration of the
contractile filaments.
 It is hypothesized that this condition is due to a
defect in the RYR that increases intracellular Ca++
concentration thereby increasing mitochondrial
uptake and Ca++ overload and loss of mitochondria
 Brody Disease (BD)
 Characterized by painless muscle cramping
and impaired muscle relaxation during
exercise seen in muscles of the leg, arms and
eyelid with the response worsened in cold
weather.
 This is due to decreased activity of SERCA
found in fast twitch muscle fiber
MUSCLE TWITCH
 a mechanical response of a
muscle brought about by a single
action potential which is composed

of a brief contraction followed by

relaxation.
Phases of muscle twitch
A. Latent Period

B. Period of Contraction

C. Period of Relaxation
Latent Period
 period from the start of
depolarization and the start
of contraction phase.
 includes the events from
the binding of acetylcholine
to the nicotinic receptors
up the binding of Ca++ to
troponin C.
Period of Contraction
 from the start of
contraction up to the
peak of the tension
curve.
 includes the formation
of cross linkages
between actin and
myosin.
 Period of Relaxation
 from the peak of the tension

curve up to end of muscular

response.
 includes events from the
release of Ca++ from the
troponin C and
sequestration back to the
sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Muscle Length-Tension Relationship
 Contracture
 a condition characterized by sustained
contraction.
 transport of calcium to the sarcoplasmic

reticulum is inhibited therefore relaxation

does not occur even though there are no
more action potentials.
 Rigor Mortis
 a state of rigidity of the muscle that occurs
after death.
 there is complete depletion of ATP so that
almost all of the myosin heads are attached
to actin but in an abnormal, fixed and
resistant way.
Effect of Denervation
Lower motor neuron lesion
a) Muscle atrophy
b) Denervation hypersensitivity (fibrillation)
 Fasciculation
 jerky visible contractions of groups of
muscle fibers that occur as a result of
pathologic discharge of the spinal motor
neuron
 Myasthenia Gravis
 Characterized by muscle weakness due to
destruction of acethylcholine receptors at the
neuromuscular junction.
Types of Contraction
A. Isometric contraction
 “ same measure or length”
 contractions do not produce work.
B. Isotonic contraction
 “ same tension and there’s shortening”
 performs work because there’s
shortening.
a) concentric contraction
b) eccentric contraction
Energy Sources During
Contraction
 Phosphagen System

 Glycogen Lactic Acid System

 Oxidative System
Phosphagen System (8-10 sec)
 Stored ATP (3 sec)
ATP = adenosine ~ PO4- ~ PO4- ~ PO4-
7300 calories
7300 calories

ATP → ADP + Pi ADP → AMP + Pi

 Phosphocreatinine or
Creatinephosphate (5-7 sec)

Creatine ~ PO4-

10,300 calories

PCr + ADP → ATP + Cr

 Glycogen-Lactic Acid System
(1.3 to 1.6 minutes)

O2 ATP + PYRUVIC ACID KREB CYCLE

GLYCOGEN GLUCOSE

ATP + LACTIC ACID ATP

FATIGUE
Aerobic System (Unlimited--nutrient)

CARBOHYDRATES PROTEINS FATS

(glucose) (amino acid) (fatty acid)

OXYGEN

ATP + CO2 + H2O

Maximal rates of power generation
(moles of ATP/min)

Phosphagen system 4 moles of ATP/min

Glycogen-Lactic acid system 2.5 moles of ATP/min

Aerobic system 1 mole of ATP/min

 Comparison for endurance
Phosphagen system 8 – 10 seconds

Glycogen-Lactic Acid System 1.3 – 1.6 minutes

Aerobic System Unlimited

(as long as nutrient lasts)
Heat Production in Muscle
 Energy supplied to a muscle = energy
output (work)
 Overall mechanical efficiency of muscle
is (work done/total energy expenditure)
 Up to 50% in isotonic contraction
 0% in isometric contraction
Types of Heat produced by muscle
 Resting Heat
 Heat given off at rest (basal metabolic processes)
 Initial Heat (heat produced in excess of
resting heat during contraction)
 Activation Heat (Heat produced during
contraction
 Shortening Heat (α distance the muscle shortens)
 Recovery heat
 Heat liberated by the metabolic processes
that restore the muscle to its precontraction
state
 Equal to the initial heat (recovery =
contraction)
 Relaxation heat
 Extra heat in addition to the recovery heat
Neuromuscular Junction
MOTOR UNIT
 a single motorneuron and the muscle fibers it
innervates.
 the number of muscle fibers varies with each
motor unit.

3 – 6 muscle fibers/motor unit

> muscles concerned with fine, graded and precise
movement.
120 – 165 muscle fibers/motor unit
> muscles concerned with postural and gross movement.
 each spinal motorneuron innervates only one kind of
muscle fiber, so that all of the muscle fibers in a
motor unit are of the same type.
 SLOW TWITCH FAST TWITCH
Synonyms Type I / Oxidative Type II / Glycolytic
Red muscle White muscle

Velocity of Slow / Low Fast / High

Shortening
Twitch Duration Longer (100 ms) Shorter (7.5 ms)

Diameter Small Large

Source of Energy Oxidative System Glycolytic / Phosphagen

System
Mitochondria Abundant Few
Myoglobin Greater Few

Capillary Density Greater Few

Function Provide endurance Deliver extreme amount of

power for a few sec to min.
Examples Involved in gross /strong /
Involved in skilled and fine
ustained movement
movements
Characteristics Motor Unit Classification

NERVE Type I Type II

Velocity of Slow / Low (fast) Fast / High (very fast)

Shortening
Excitability High Low

Diameter Small Large

MUSCLE
Number of fiber few Many

Contraction velocity Moderate Fast

Fatigability Low High

Force of unit low High

Function Provide endurance Deliver extreme amount of

power for a few sec to min.
Metabolic Profile Oxidative Glycolytic
Fiber diameter Moderate Large
LENGTH – TENSION RELATIONSHIP
LOAD VS VELOCITY OF SHORTENING
 LOAD VS VELOCITY OF SHORTENING

WORK

LOAD
Force Summation of Muscle Contraction

Summation
 adding together of individual twitch
contractions to increase the intensity of
overall muscle contraction.
Multiple Fiber Summation
 also called quantal summation, graded
response and recruitment of motor units.
 increasing number of motor units

contracting simultaneously → ↑ force of

contraction.

generated by applying several stimuli of
increasing intensity.
RECRUITMENT OF MOTOR UNITS

2v 4v 6v 8v 10 v 12 v 14 v
Frequency Summation
 can lead to tetanization
 increasing frequency of contractions
→ ↑ force of contraction
 generated by applying several stimuli
of increasing frequency.
Treppe or Staircase Phenomenon
 a series of maximal stimuli is delivered to
the skeletal muscle at a frequency below
the tetanizing frequency.
 there is an increase tension developed
during each twitch until, after several
contractions a uniform tension per
contraction is reached.
 due to an increase availability of Ca++ for
binding to troponin C.
Fatigue
 due prolonged and strong contraction
of a muscle.
 directly proportional to the rate of
depletion of glycogen and creatine
phosphate stores.
 due to accumulation of metabolites
like lactic acid and inorganic phosphate.
Fatigue