The Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Contraction Muscle Cell Anatomy Sarcolemma Muscle cell membrane Sarcoplasmic reticulum Reservoir of Ca++ Ions needed for muscle fibers to contract Mitochondria Source of ATP Provides energy for movement of contraction Myofibrils Made of actin and myosin filaments
Myofilament Anatomy Each myofibril is made of alternating rows of actin and myosin filaments The actin myofilaments slide over the myosin to shorten the muscle
Sliding Filament Theory Message traveling along neuron causes release of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine diffuses across neuromuscular junction and binds to sarcolemma. Changes permeability allowing stored Ca++ ions in the sarcoplasmic reticulum to flood into the muscle fibers
Sliding Filament Theory Influx of Ca++ ions causes actin fibers slide along myosin filaments. Sliding shortens and thickens muscle.
What makes the filaments slide along each other? Myosin made up of bundles of fibers with heads that act as “hands” to pull the actin fibers along the myosin. Troponin proteins in the actin fibers act like hand holds for the myosin heads to “grab”. Myosin Actin
How the tropomyosin complex works: