Muscular System
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Types of Muscle Tissue
1. Skeletal muscle
2. Cardiac muscle
3. Smooth muscle Terminology:
1. Muscle fibers- elongated muscle
cells eg. Skeletal and smooth muscle
cells
2. Myo or mys- (prefix) both are word
roots meaning “muscle”
3. Sarco-meaning flesh
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Skeletal Muscle
• attach to and cover the bony skeleton
• the longest muscle cells and have obvious
stripes called striations
• A voluntary muscle because it is subject to
conscious control
• responsible for overall body mobility
• tires easily and must rest after short
periods of activity
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Cardiac Muscle
• occurs only in the heart
• cardiac muscle cells are striated
• involuntary muscle
• contracts at a fairly steady rate set by the
heart’s pacemaker
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Smooth Muscle
• found in the walls of hollow visceral
organs, such as the stomach, urinary
bladder, and respiratory passages
• consists of elongated cells
• has no striations
• involuntary muscle
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Special Characteristics of Muscle Tissue
Excitability: capacity of muscle to respond to a stimulus
Contractility: ability of a muscle to shorten and generate pulling force
Extensibility: muscle can be stretched back to its original length
Elasticity: ability of muscle to recoil to original resting length after stretched
A. Overview of Muscle Tissues
Muscle Functions
• Body movement (Locomotion)
• Maintenance of posture
• Respiration
– Diaphragm and intercostal contractions
• Communication (Verbal and Facial)
• Constriction of organs and vessels
– Peristalsis of intestinal tract
– Vasoconstriction of blood vessels and other structures (pupils)
• Heart beat
• Production of body heat (Thermogenesis)
B. Skeletal Muscle
Gross Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle
A. Nerve and Blood Supply
Motor neurons
stimulate muscle fibers to contract
neuron axons branch so that each muscle fiber (muscle
cell) is innervated
form a neuromuscular junction (= myoneural junction)
Capillary beds surround muscle fibers
muscles require large amounts of energy
extensive vascular network delivers necessary oxygen and
nutrients and carries away metabolic waste produced by
muscle fibers
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Gross Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle
B. Connective Tissue Sheaths
• 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. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Gross Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle
C. Attachments
Skeletal muscles span joints and attach to bones (or
other structures) in at least two places.
• Insertion- the movable bone when a muscle
contracts
• Origin- immovable or less movable bone where the
movable bone moves towards
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Microscopic Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber
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 (T-
tubules)
• Narrow tubes that extend into the sarcoplasm at right
angles to the surface
• Filled with extracellular fluid
B. Skeletal Muscle
Microscopic Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber
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)
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Microscopic Anatomy of a Skeletal Muscle Fiber
Striations, Sarcomeres, and Myofilaments
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
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Molecular Composition of Myofilaments
B. Skeletal Muscle
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
• 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
– T-tubules run near the aligned A- and I-band boundaries of sarcomeres
• 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
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
• 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
B. Skeletal Muscle
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 a relaxed muscle fiber, the thin and thick filaments
overlap only at the ends of the A band
• When the muscle shortens:
(1) the I bands shorten, (2) the distance between successive
Z discs shortens, (3) the H zones disappear, and (4) the
contiguous A bands move closer together but their length
does not change.
B. Skeletal Muscle
B. Skeletal Muscle
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Events before the muscle fiber contraction
1. The fiber must be activated, that is, stimulated by a nerve
ending so that a change in membrane potential occurs.
2. Next, it must generate an electrical current, called an
action potential, in its sarcolemma.
3. The action potential is automatically propagated along the
sarcolemma.
4. Then, intracellular calcium ion levels must rise briefly,
providing the final trigger for contraction.
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
The Nerve Stimulus and Events
at the Neuromuscular Junction
1. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of an axon, the axon
terminal releases acetylcholine (Ach) into the synaptic cleft.
2. ACh diffuses across the cleft and attaches to ACh receptors on
the sarcolemma of the muscle fiber.
3. ACh binding triggers electrical events that ultimately generate
an action potential.
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
The Nerve Stimulus and Events
at the Neuromuscular Junction
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
The Nerve Stimulus and Events
at the Neuromuscular Junction
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
The Nerve Stimulus and Events
at the Neuromuscular Junction
• After ACh binds to the ACh receptors, its effects are quickly
terminated by acetylcholinesterase
• Acetylcholinesterase breaks down ACh to its building
blocks, acetic acid and choline.
• This removal of ACh prevents continued (and most likely
undesirable) muscle fiber contraction in the absence of
additional nervous system stimulation.
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Homoestatic Imbalance:
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
• Characterized by drooping upper eyelids,
difficulty swallowing and talking, and
generalized muscle weakness
• Involves a shortage of Ach receptors
• Autoimmune disease: antibodies are
formed against ACh receptors
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Generation of an Action
Potential Across the
Sarcolemma
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Generation of an Action
Potential Across the
Sarcolemma
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Generation of an Action
Potential Across the
Sarcolemma
Although the action
potential itself lasts only
a few milliseconds (ms),
the contraction phase of
a muscle fiber may
persist for 100 ms or
more and far outlasts
the electrical event that
triggers it.
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Excitation-Contraction
Coupling
the sequence of events by
which transmission of an
action potential along the
sarcolemma causes
myofilaments to slide
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Excitation-Contraction Coupling
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Excitation-
Contraction
Coupling
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Muscle Fiber Contraction: Cross Bridge Cycling
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Muscle Contraction
Isometric
contractions
occur when a
muscle attempts to
move a load that is
greater
than the force
(tension) the
muscle is able to
develop.
C. Physiology of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Muscle Contraction
Isotonic contractions
1. Concentric contractions – muscle shortens and does work
2. Eccentric contractions- muscle generates force as it lengthen
D. Muscle Metabolism
D. Muscle Metabolism
D. Muscle Metabolism
Muscle Fatigue
“a state of physiological inability to contract even though the
muscle still may be receiving stimuli”
Causes:
• ionic imbalances (eg. K+ accumulates in the fluids of the T
tubules and disrupts AP, and halts Ca++ release from the SR)
• accumulation of inorganic phosphate (Pi) from CP and ATP
breakdown
• lactic acid- raises the concentration of H+ and alters contractile
proteins
D. Muscle Metabolism
Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)
For a muscle to return to its resting state, all the following must occur:
1. Its oxygen reserves in myoglobin must be replenished.
2. The accumulated lactic acid must be reconverted to pyruvic acid.
3. Glycogen stores must be replaced.
4. ATP and creatine phosphate reserves must be resynthesized.
__________________________________________________________
extra amount of oxygen that the body must take in for
these restorative processes is called the
excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)
*reason for hyperventilation during exercises
E. Adaptations to Exercise
Resistance Exercise
• moderately weak but sustained muscle activity required for
endurance exercise does not promote significant skeletal
muscle hypertrophy
• muscle hypertrophy results mainly from high-intensity
resistance exercise (eg. weight lifting or isometric exercise)
ü more mitochondria
ü form more myofilaments and myofibrils
ü store more glycogen
ü develop more connective tissue between muscle cells
E. Adaptations to Exercise
Homeostatic Imbalance: disuse atrophy
• degeneration and loss of mass
• begins when muscles are
immobilized
• muscle strength can decline at
the rate of 5% per day!
F. Smooth Muscle
Microscopic Structure of Smooth Muscle
Fibers
• Thick filaments are fewer but have
myosin heads along their entire
length.
• No troponin complex in thin
filaments. (a protein called calmodulin
acts as the calcium binding site)
• Thick and thin filaments arranged
diagonally.
• Intermediate filament–dense body
network (serving as the Z disk)
F. Smooth Muscle
Microscopic Structure of Smooth Muscle
Fibers
• Smooth muscle lacks the highly structured
neuromuscular junctions of skeletal muscle
• varicosities release neurotransmitter into a
wide synaptic cleft in the general area of
the smooth muscle cells
• diffuse junctions vs neuromuscular
junction
F. Smooth Muscle
Contraction of
Smooth Muscle
F. Smooth Muscle
Contraction of Smooth Muscle
F. Smooth Muscle
Contraction of Smooth Muscle
F. Smooth Muscle
Contraction of Smooth Muscle
F. Smooth Muscle
Regulation of Contraction
Neural Regulation
• Different autonomic nerves serving the smooth muscle of visceral organs release
different neurotransmitters
• Each of which may excite or inhibit a particular group of smooth muscle cells
Neurotransmitter Smooth Muscle Location Action
acetylcholine bronchioles strong contraction that
narrows
the bronchioles
norepinephrine bronchioles dilates the bronchioles
norepinephrine blood vessels constriction
F. Smooth Muscle
Regulation of Contraction
Hormones and Local Chemical Factors
• histamine, excess carbon dioxide, low pH, and lack of oxygen
Hormone/Chemical Smooth Muscle Location Action
Substance
gastrin stomach Contract, to churn food
F. Smooth Muscle
Types of Smooth Muscle
F. Smooth Muscle
Types of Smooth Muscle
Unitary Smooth Muscle
• walls of all hollow organs except the heart
• are arranged in opposing (longitudinal and circular) sheets
• Are innervated by varicosities of autonomic nerve fibers and
• often exhibit rhythmic spontaneous action potentials
• Are electrically coupled by gap junctions and so contract as a unit
(for this reason recruitment is not an option in unitary smooth
muscle)
• Respond to various chemical stimuli
F. Smooth Muscle
Types of Smooth Muscle
Multi Unit Smooth Muscle
• smooth muscles in the large airways to the lungs and in large
arteries, the arrector pili muscles attached to hair follicles, and the
internal eye muscles that adjust pupil size and allow the eye to
focus visually
• Consists of muscle fibers that are structurally independent of one
another
• Is richly supplied with nerve endings, each of which forms a motor
unit with a number of muscle fibers
• Responds to neural stimulation with graded contractions that
involve recruitment
End of the Presentation