BIOLOGY UNIT BIOLOGY 2 SB025

KOLEJ MATRIKULASI SEMESTER 2

MELAKA SESSION 2019/2020

CHAPTER 10
COORDINATION
10.2: MECHANISM OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION
CHAPTER 10: BIOLOGY 2 SB025
SEMESTER 2
COORDINATION
SESSION 2019/2020

10.2: MECHANISM OF
MUSCLE CONTRACTION
Learning outcomes
a) Describe the structure of neuromuscular
junction.
b) Explain impulse transmission at the
neuromuscular junction.
c) Describe the structure of sarcomere.
d) Explain the mechanism of muscle contraction
based on Sliding filament theory.
 NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION
Definition:
Synapse
between motor
neuron and the
muscle fiber.

Located between
synaptic terminal of
motor neuron and
motor end plate of
muscle fiber.
NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Structure

Synaptic
terminal

Junctional
folds
 3 STRUCTURE OF NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION
Structure Definition
Synaptic terminal (of Has synaptic vesicles that contain
motor neuron) neurotransmitter.
Synaptic cleft Is a gap between the synaptic
terminal of motor neuron and motor
end plate (sarcolemma of muscle
fibre).
Motor end plate The sarcolemma of the muscle
fibre.
Each extensively folded
sarcolemma on the motor end plate
is called junctional folds.
Has ligand gated ion channels.
STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE
• Skeletal muscle consists of
several bundles of muscle
fibres.

• One muscle fibre consist of

groups of myofibrils that
have repetitive unit called
sarcomere.
 STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRE
Structure Definition
Sarcomere The basic repeating unit that consist of
myofibrils.

Sarcolemma The plasma membrane that encloses the

muscle fibre.

Sarcoplasm The cytoplasm of the muscle fibre (cell) that

contains a lot of mitochondria, nuclei (on the
sarcolemma) and myofibrils.

Sarcoplasmic A specialized endoplasmic reticulum /

reticulum (SR) networks of tubules and sacs that regulates
concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+).

Transverse tubule An infolding of plasma membrane of skeletal

(T tubule) muscle cells.
STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRE
NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission
NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission
1) Arrival of action potential at
synaptic terminal.
Action
potential 2) The permeability of presynaptic
membrane to calcium ions (Ca2+)
increases.
Voltage gated Ca2+ channels open.
Ca2+ diffuse into synaptic terminal.
Voltage
gated Ca2+ 3) Diffusion of Ca2+ stimulates
channels synaptic vesicle to fuse with
presynaptic membrane.
Synaptic vesicle release
acetylcholine into synaptic cleft
through exocytosis.
 NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission

Ligand Voltage
gated ion gated
channel Na+
channels

4) The acetylcholine diffuse across synaptic cleft and bind to

specific receptor site at ligand gated ion channel on the
sarcolemma.
5) Ligand gated ion channel open and (sodium ions)
Na+ diffuse into postsynaptic membrane to depolarize the
motor end plate.
6) Action potential is generated when the influx of Na+ exceed the
threshold level.
 NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission

7) Action potential is propagated along the sarcolemma

and down the transverse tubule (T tubule).

8) As the action potential spreads along T tubule, it

increases the permeability of sarcoplasmic reticulum
to Ca2+.

9) Ca2+ channels open.

10) Ca2+ diffuse into sarcoplasm down concentration

gradient.
 NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission

10
Sarcoplasm
 NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION: Impulse transmission

When action potential is absent at synaptic terminal of

motor neuron:

A specific enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) will degrade

the neurotransmitter.

Neurotransmitter unbind from receptor on ligand gated

ion channel .

Ligand gated ion channel closes.

Resting potential is restored.

THE NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION
 SARCOMERE
Definition: Basic unit of the myofibrils between two Z lines.
STRUCTURE OF THICK FILAMENT/MYOSIN

Myosin head
has 2 binding
sites for actin
and ATPase.
STRUCTURE OF THIN FILAMENT/ACTIN
STRUCTURE OF SARCOMERE

THICK FILAMENT

THIN FILAMENT
STRUCTURE OF SARCOMERE
 STRUCTURE OF SARCOMERE
Structure Definition
H zone A dark region.
The thick filaments only.
A band The darkest region.
The thick and thin filaments overlap.
I band The lightest region.
The thin filaments only.
M line A central dark line in A band.
Hold the thick filaments.
Z line A central line in I band.
Hold the thin filaments.
 RELAXED MUSCLE

• The distance of actin filaments in the H zone is large.

 CONTRACTING MUSCLE

• The actin are separated by a relatively small space in the H

zone.
• I band relative shorten.
• A band remain unchanged.
 FULLY CONTRACTED MUSCLE

• Actin filaments are pulled towards the center of sarcomere.

• Actin filaments overlap in H zone.
• H zone disappears.
• Sarcomere becomes shorten.
• A band does not change in length.
• I band become shorten.
CONTRACTED AND RELAXED STATES OF MUSCLE
 MECHANISM OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION
Based on Sliding-filament Theory
by Huxley and Hanson.

In the relaxed muscle:

The tropomyosin block the myosin binding sites on actin
filaments.

Myosin binding sites blocked; muscle cannot contract

 MECHANISM OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION
In the contracted muscle:
• Ca2+ bind to troponin complex.
• Troponin undergoes conformation changes and
removed the blockage of tropomyosin at myosin
binding site on actin filaments.
• The exposure of myosin binding site allows the
binding of myosin head with actin filaments.

Myosin binding sites blocked; muscle cannot contract

MECHANISM OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION
 SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
1. The myosin head is in low-energy configuration.
2. ATP molecule bind to myosin head.
 SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
3. ATPase binds at the myosin head and hydrolyses ATP to
ADP and Pi ; energy is released.
4. Myosin head now in high-energy configuration.
 SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
5. Myosin head bind to the exposed myosin binding sites
on actin filaments and forms a cross-bridge.
 SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
6. ADP and Pi are released from myosin head.
7. Myosin head return to its low-energy configuration.
8. The actin filament is slided by the cross-bridge
towards the center of the sarcomere.
9. Muscle contract happens.
 SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
10. The cross-bridge dissociates from the actin.
11. Due to the binding of new ATP molecule to the
myosin head.
12. and ready to start a new cycle.
SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY
 MECHANISM OF MUSCLE CONTRACTION
Before start a new cycle,
• Ca2+ are removed by active transport into
sarcoplasmic reticulum after the action potential
ends.

• Troponin without binding with Ca2+ changes to its

original conformation.

• Tropomyosin is controlled to block the myosin

binding site on actin filament.

• Contraction ends and muscle fiber relaxes.

THE MUSCLE CONTRACTION
 HOTS QUESTION

Why are the muscle of an animal that has recently

died likely to be stiff ?
 References

1. Campbell, N. A. & Reece, J.B. (2018).

Biology (11th Ed.), Pearson, The
Benjamin Cummings Publishing
Company, Inc., 1181-1195