The Muscular System

There are 3 types of muscles

A. Function of Skeletal Muscles

Produce movement
Muscle pulls tendons to move the skeleton

Maintain posture and body position

Continuous muscle contraction

Guard entrances and exits

Encircle openings to digestive and urinary tracts. Control swallowing, defecation and urination

Maintain body temperature

Energy from contraction is converted to heat

Skeletal Muscle
Bundles are formed by: epimysium epi = upon perimysium peri = around endomysium end = within

Terms
Plasmalemma = Sarcolemma Sarcoplasm = Cytoplasm Sarcoplasmic Reticulum = Endoplasmic Reticulum

B. Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles - Gross Anatomy

All three layers attach muscle to bone

Surrounds muscle

Bundle of muscle fibers Surrounds each muscle fiber, and tie adjacent fibers together

Divides muscle into compartments, each contain a bundle of muscle fibers called fascicle

Myofibrils
Cylinder as long as entire muscle fiber Each fiber contains 100s to 1000s Responsible for contraction When myofibrils contract the whole cell contracts Consist of proteins
Actin thin filaments Myosin thick filaments

Connective Tissue Sheaths

Connective Tissue of a Muscle
Epimysium. Dense regular c.t. surrounding entire muscle
Separates muscle from surrounding tissues and organs Connected to the deep fascia

Perimysium. Collagen and elastic fibers surrounding a group of muscle fibers called a fascicle
Contains b.v and nerves

Endomysium. Loose connective tissue that surrounds individual muscle fibers

Also contains b.v., nerves, and satellite cells (embryonic stem cells function in repair of muscle tissue

Collagen fibers of all 3 layers come together at each end of muscle to form a tendon or aponeurosis.

B. Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Blood Vessels and Nerves

Muscle contractions require energy

Blood vessels deliver oxygen and nutrients to produce energy(ATP)

Muscle contractions are under stimulation from the CNS(central nervous system)

Sarcomere
Smallest functional unit of muscle fiber Each myofibril contains 10,000 sarcomeres end to end Interaction between thick and thin filaments cause contraction Banded appearance

Sarcomeres: Z Disk to Z Disk

Sarcomere - repeating functional units of a myofibril

About 10,000 sarcomeres per myofibril, end to end Each is about 2 m long

Differences in size, density, and distribution of thick and thin filaments gives the muscle fiber a banded or striated appearance.
A bands: a dark band; full length of thick (myosin) filament M line - protein to which myosins attach H zone - thick but NO thin filaments I bands: a light band; from Z disks to ends of thick filaments
Thin but NO thick filaments Extends from A band of one sarcomere to A band of the next sarcomere

Z disk: filamentous network of protein. Serves as attachment for actin myofilaments Titin filaments: elastic chains of amino acids; keep thick and thin filaments in proper alignment

Microanatomy Sarcolemma and T-Tubules

Very large cells 100s of nuclei Cell membrane pores open to T-tubules

Network of narrow tubules filled with extracellular fluid form passageway s through muscle fiber

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
Specialized form of SER Tubular network around each myofibril In contact with T-Tubule

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum (SR)

SR is an elaborate, smooth endoplasmic reticulum
runs longitudinally and surrounds each myofibril Form chambers called terminal cisternae on either side of the T-tubules

A single T-tubule and the 2 terminal cisternae form a triad SR stores Ca++ when muscle not contracting
When stimulated, calcium released into sarcoplasm SR membrane has Ca++ pumps that function to pump Ca++ out of the sarcoplasm back into the SR after contraction

Thick and Thin Filaments

Thin twisted actin molecules Each has an active site where they interact with myosin Resting active site covered by tropomyosin which is held in place by troponin Thick Myosin Head attaches to actin during contraction Can only happen if troponin changes position, moving tropomyosin to expose active site

Muscle Fiber Anatomy

Sarcolemma - cell membrane Surrounds the sarcoplasm (cytoplasm of fiber) Contains many of the same organelles seen in other cells An abundance of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin Punctuated by openings called the transverse tubules (Ttubules) Narrow tubes that extend into the sarcoplasm at right angles to the surface Filled with extracellular fluid Myofibrils -cylindrical structures within muscle fiber Are bundles of protein filaments (=myofilaments) Two types of myofilaments 1. Actin filaments (thin filaments) 2. Myosin filaments (thick filaments) At each end of the fiber, myofibrils are anchored to the inner surface of the sarcolemma When myofibril shortens, muscle shortens (contracts)

Structure of Actin and Myosin

Myosin (Thick) Myofilament

Many elongated myosin molecules shaped like golf clubs. Single filament contains roughly 300 myosin molecules Molecule consists of two heavy myosin molecules wound together to form a rod portion lying parallel to the myosin myofilament and two heads that extend laterally. Myosin heads 1. Can bind to active sites on the actin molecules to form crossbridges. (Actin binding site) 2. Attached to the rod portion by a hinge region that can bend and straighten during contraction. 3. Have ATPase activity: activity that breaks down adenosine triphosphate (ATP), releasing energy. Part of the energy is used to bend the hinge region of the myosin molecule during contraction

Sliding Filament Model of Contraction

Thin filaments slide past the thick ones so that the actin and myosin filaments overlap to a greater degree In the relaxed state, thin and thick filaments overlap only slightly Upon stimulation, myosin heads bind to actin and sliding begins

Sliding Filament Model of Contraction

Each myosin head binds and detaches several times during contraction, acting like a ratchet to generate tension and propel the thin filaments to the center of the sarcomere As this event occurs throughout the sarcomeres, the muscle shortens
PLAY InterActive Physiology: Muscular System: Sliding Filament Theory

Sliding Filaments and Cross Bridges

Sarcomere contraction Sliding Filament Theory
Thin filaments slide toward center of sarcomere Thick filaments are stationary Myosin head attaches to active site on actin (cross bridge) Pull actin towards center, then detaches

Questions
How would severing the tendon attached to a muscle affect the ability of the muscle to move a body part? Why does skeletal muscle appear striated when viewed through a microscope? Where would you expect the greatest concentration of calcium ions in resting skeletal muscles to be?

Control of Muscle Fiber Contraction

Under control of the nervous system

1. Electrical signal travels to the muscle. 2. Electrical signal spreads over entire sarcolemma, down t-tubules to sarcoplasmic reticulum 3. Sarcoplasmic reticulum releases massive amounts of calcium 4. Increase in calcium sarcomeres contract

The Contraction Cycle

Step 1
Ca+ binds to troponin, changing the tropomyosin position, in turn exposing active site on actin

Step 2
Myosin head attaches to actin

Step 3
Pulling of actin towards center of sarcomere

Step 4
Detachment of cross bridge

Questions
How would a drug that interferes with cross-bridge formation affect muscle contraction? What would you expect to happen to a resting skeletal muscle if the sarcolemma suddenly became very permeable to calcium ions?