ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: MUSCULAR
SYSTEM
FUNCTIONS OF MUSCULAR SYSTEM:
 Movement – skeletal muscles specifically
attach to our bones to move our bodies
 Posture – there is a partial muscle
contraction maintained by the skeletal
muscles
Muscle tone - Contraction of skeletal muscles;
important so the human could sit, stand, walk in
stable position
 Respiration – primary and accessory
muscles for breathing in and out
 Production of body heat – heat is the
byproduct of the skeletal muscle
contraction
 Communication – by using the muscles we
can write, type etc.
 Organ movements – constriction and
dilation of organs and vessels
 Heart contraction – with cardiac muscles
the heart will contact so that it could pump
blood to the body.
Smooth muscle – helps in contracting/constricting
to widen the circumference of the cavity.
OTHER SYSTEMS INVOLVED IN
MOVEMENT:
Muscular – moves the bones
Skeletal – bones are moved, at their joints, by
muscles
Nervous – transmits impulses to muscles to cause
contraction
Respiratory – exchanges O2 AND CO2 between
the air and blood
Circulatory – transports O2 to muscles and
removes CO2
3 TYPES OF
SMOOTH MUSCLES – found in organs, blood
vessels and glands; spindle shaped with one
nucleus per cell (center) the filaments are not
arranged and the functional units are actin and
myosin. DOES not have an stripes appearance.
(No striation).
-The smooth muscles are autorhythmic
means that it can generate its own electrochemical
messages for its own contraction.
-involuntary (don’t have the control over
it) and functions as a unit and contracts at the
same time.
- contracts slower than skeletal muscles
and does not get a deficiency in oxygen.
CARDIAC MUSCLES – muscle cells are long
and branching can be found only in the HEART;
HAS ONLY ONE NUCLEUS PER CELL and
centrally located.
-the actin and myosin are arranged so they
have a striped appearance (striations). They are
also autorhythmic so they generate their own
messages for contraction and involuntary.
-connected to each other by intercalated
disks that allow the cells to contract as a unit.
SKELETAL MUSCLES – the only type that is
voluntary; attached to the bones so we can move it
around the muscle cells are long and cylindrical.
-multinucleated and peripherally located;
there are striations but not autorhythmic doesn’t
generate its own electrical messages for
contractions.
4 CHARACTERISTICS OF SKELETAL
MUSCLES:
Contractility – ability of the muscles to shorten
Excitability – ability to receive and respond to
stimuli
Extensibility – ability of the muscles to stretch
Elasticity – ability to recoil back to its original
shape after being stretched.
MUSCLE STRUCTURE OF THE
SKELETAL MUSCLES
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-About 40% of our body weight is because of the
skeletal muscles and its connective tissues
-muscle cells look like threads that’s why its also
called as muscle fibers.
Endomysium - Each muscle fiber has a connective
tissue sheath that wraps around.
A bundle of the muscle fibers with their own
endomysium if group together.
Muscle fasciculi – bundle of muscle fibers
Perimysium - Connective tissue covering of the
muscle fasciculi
MUSCLE - Group of muscle fasciculi together
with their own perimysium it is now going to
create muscles.
Epimysium - Own covering of the skeletal
muscles also called as muscular fascia.
Structures in the muscle fiber:
Long cylindrical structures w/multiple nuclei in
the periphery and the nuclei are deep to the cell
membrane
Along the surface of the sarcolemma there are
pockets going inward towards the cell and leads to
a tubular system called Transverse tubules/ t-
tubules
The t-tubules occur at regular intervals throughout
the fiber
Sarcolemma - Cell membrane in the muscle fiber
Sarcoplasmic reticulum - Cells endoplasmic
reticulum in the muscle fibers; in charge of
releasing and storing calcium for muscle
contraction
Sarcoplasm - Muscle Cell cytoplasm
There are Fibers that fill up the sarcoplasm that is
why the nuclei are pushed to the peripheries.
Myofibrils – fibers that fill up the sarcoplasm;
made up of thinner and smaller structure called the
myofilaments
There are two types of myofilaments:
Thin myofilaments
- actin – two strands of protein that are
twisted together and they have attachment
sites for the thick filaments
- troponin – attached at regular intervals
along the actin and have high affinity to
calcium ions specially the troponin c.
- Tropomyosin – wraps around the actin
covering the actin binding or attachment
site.
If there is a calcium attached by the troponin there
will be changes in structure wherein the
tropomyosin will uncover the attachment sites of
the actin.
Thick myofilaments
- Myosin - golf clubbed shaped; the shafts
are bundled together to form the thick
filament
- Their heads at the end stick out to form
bundle –
- The myosin heads are the one attracted to
the attachment site of the actin.
Cross bridge - When the myosin heads are
attached to the actin during the muscle contraction
SARCOMERE: STRUCTURAL UNIT AND
FUNCTIONAL UNIT
Sarcomere – located in the myofibril; structural
and functional unit of the muscle because it is the
smallest part of the skeletal muscle that can
contract
- Each sarcomere extends from one z disc to
another
z-disk – disc where the actin (thin filament) is
anchored to. (Blue lines)
Myosin is anchored at the center because of a dark
staining band called M line
AND M line is at the center of the h zone
H zone- area where myosin is the only one placed
there is no actin present in this zone.
The arrangement of actin and myosin in
sarcomeres gives the muscle its striations (striped
appearance) there are 2 bands light and dark the:
I BAND – only actin is present that is why they
have a light appearance
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SYSTEM
A BAND – contains the actin and myosin there
are 2 myofilaments so they are dark in
appearance.
CODE TO REMEMBER:
ADAM – A BAND is DARK bc there is ACTIN
and MYOSIN
LIA – LIGHT band is the I BAND bc it only
contains ACTIN
ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF
SKELETAL MUSCLES IS EXCITABILITY
>THE ability to receive and respond to stimuli
>the skeletal muscles are highly excitable because
they exhibit electrical properties
>the cell membrane is polarized because the
inside of the cell is negative while the outside of
the cell is positive.
Resting membrane potential – uneven charge
difference in the resting state. There is no
excitation yet and stimulus; the muscles are at
rest.
-90 mV = skeletal muscles resting membrane
potential
>the cell has more potassium inside than outside
>the cell has more sodium outside than inside.
>Since our cell is selectively permeable not all
substances could pass through that’s why the
inside of the cell is more negative than outside.
>Channels along the cell membrane are non-gated
so the substances are free to diffuse in and out. but
these channels are more permeable to potassium
ions.
Since the potassium ions are a lot inside than
outside the cell and diffusion is from high to low
concentration so a lot of the potassium will go
outside to the extracellular.
> MAKING IT more negative inside the cell plus
the molecules inside the cell that can pass through
these leaky channels have a negative charge
The resting membrane potential is maintained by
the SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMP and this pump
needs ATP to activate and it will pump 2
POTASSIUM IN AND 3 SODIUM OUT because
of this mechanism the imbalance of distribution of
positive ions is maintained for resting membrane
potential at -90MV
ACTION POTENTIAL - A change in membrane
potential or the electrical fluctuation along cell
membrane
-once the action potential is received there
will be changes in the muscle fibers
-the sodium channels that used to be
closed will now open, the sodium from the outside
of the cell will now go inside
-since sodium is positively charged and it
will go inside of the cell which is negatively
charged, making the inside of the cell less
negative/ more positive.
DEPOLARIZATION PHASE – from -90 mv of
the resting membrane potential it will become less
negative or more positive phase.
-because of the influx of
sodium
DIFFUSION – The potassium inside of the cell
will diffuse out of the cell.
>potassium is also positively charged since there
is additional open channels there will be more
positive ions going out of the cell making it the
inside of the cell more negative
REPOLARIZATION PHASE - is a stage of an
action potential in which the cell experiences a
decrease of voltage due to the efflux of potassium
(K+) ions along its electrochemical gradient.
BUT the potassium channels were slow to open
and slow to close and because of that slow
closure, more potassium ions go outside making it
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: MUSCULAR
SYSTEM
more negative than the resting membrane
potential.
HYPERPOLARIZATION - when the membrane
potential becomes more negative at a particular
spot on the neuron's membrane,
Then the sodium potassium pump will take 2
potassium in and 3 sodium out to become normal
and be back to resting membrane potential.
Motor Neurons – generates action potential to
pass to skeletal muscles via branches creating a
neuromuscular junction ALSO CALLED
SYNAPSE.
Motor unit – refers to a single motor neuron and
all the muscle fibers it innervates.
A single motor neuron can innervate one to a
thousand muscle fibers
Small muscles may have a few fibers per units
while large muscles have a lot of fibers per unit.
The FEWER FIRBERS per unit the greater
control you have (ex. hands for more precise units
than the other larger units)
In neuromuscular junction it consists of NEURON
AND A MUSCLE FIBER connecting with each
other
PRE-SYNAPTIC TERMINAL –the nerve is the
pre-synaptic terminal specifically the AXON;
where action potential comes from/ begin
POST-SYNAPTIC MEMBRANE – located in
sarcolemma; Part of the muscle that will receive it
SYNAPTIC CLEFT -The Space in between the
pre synaptic terminal and post synaptic membrane
PASSING THE MESSAGE FROM NEURON
TO MUSCLE
When there is a stimulus coming from action
potential coming from the nerve it will stimulate
the calcium channels on the ends of the nerve to
open in pre-synaptic cleft
The calcium influx will cause pre-synaptic
vesicles to release a neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitter – small circles inside;
acetylcholine
Via exocytosis the acetylcholine will be released
outside of the nerve and will bind to receptors on
the postsynaptic membrane (muscle)
After the binding of the acetylcholine to the
receptors it will trigger the opening of the sodium
channels
So, after the opening of the sodium channels the
sodium from the outside will go inside thus the
start of the polarization for the muscle to contract.
Acetylcholinesterase - An enzyme to make sure
that one action potential from the nerve makes
only one action potential to muscles.
- Will breakdown the acetylcholine into
acetate and choline so the acetate is not
recycled but the choline is taken up back in
the presynaptic cell to a transporter and
will be turned into acetylcholine again
PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THERE ARE ACTION POTENTIAL FROM
THE NERVE TO THE MUSCLE
Sarcoplasmic reticulum – responsible for storing
and releasing calcium ion
Troponin c – thin filament that attracts to calcium
Tropomyosin – covers the binding site of the actin
Once the calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
attach to troponin c the tropomyosin will uncover/
expose the attachment sites of the actin
MUSCULAR SYSTEM (36MINS TO 48MINS)
 Another filament will do something, the
tropomyosin --- it is the one that covers the
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binding site of actin. Once the calcium
from the cytoplasmic reticulum attached to
the troponin C, tropomyosin will uncover
or expose the attachment sites of the actin.
 Actin binding site is exposed to the myosin
heads. The myosin heads that are attracted
to those binding sites could now attach.
 When the head is attached, there will be a
breakdown of the ATP molecules that are
attached to the myosin heads. When ATP
breaks down into ADP and phosphate,
there will be a release of energy and
because of that energy there will be a
power stroke.
 The myosin head will bend in order to pull
the actin, the actin will slide and this will
repeat, as long as calcium is still present
and is still bounded to troponin C. Myosin
will continually pull the actin filaments
and that will cause the shortening or the
contraction of the muscles.
Sliding Filament Theory
- The theory behind the muscle contraction
sliding filament, the actin is pulled so that
it will slide over in order to pull them
closer together to the center. Thus,
shortening the sarcomere and there will be
a muscle contraction
- Earlier, calcium will bind to troponin c
which will make the tropomyosin uncover
the actin binding sites.
a. Exposure of active sites. in here, the
myosin head will have stored energy
because the ATP molecule has been
hydrolysed into ADP and phosphate
(when ATP breaks down into APD
and phosphate there’s already
energy release)
b. Cross Bridge Formation. Because
the actin binding sites are already
exposed, the myosin head which are
attracted to those sites will bind and
the phosphate ion will then be
released. Again. there is already
energy stored in the myosin head
leading to number three
c. The Power Stroke. Wherein the
energy from the hydrolysis of ATP
will cause the myosin head to bend
forward to pull the actin so that the
actin will slide towards the center
and the ADP will then be released.
d. Cross-bridge Release. After the
power stroke there will be a new
ATP molecule that will bind to the
myosin head and the myosin head
will then detach from the actin.
e. Hydrolysis of ATP. The ATP that is
bounded to the myosin head will
hydrolyse into ATP and phosphate
again. There will be energy again.
f. Recovery Stroke. The myosin head
will return to its resting position and
if there are still calcium bind to
troponin C, the cycle will continue
all over again. It will return to cross
bridge formation and it will attach to
the next part in order to make a cross
bridge, then it will be power stroked,
then another ATP will bind so the
myosin will detach from actin,
hydrolysis of ATP for energy, return
to its resting position and cross
bridge again. This process will be
repeated.
- The myosin will keep on pulling the actin
to slide towards the center so that the
sarcomere will shorten, this is the muscle
contraction and the sliding filament.
What happens to the different structures
within the sarcomeres?
- Z Disc where the actin is attached
- [picture] this is the myosin, the one on the
middle is the h zone. The part where there
is actin, is the I band, this part is A band
where there is bone actin and myosin.
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- When muscles contract, the I band
narrows down, the H zone disappeared or
obliterated, the A band stays the same
because it is anchored in the middle.
- H zone “hala himala, nawala”
- I band “umikli”
- A band “alang nangyari”
MUSCLE TWITCH
- is the contraction of a muscle fiber in
response to a stimulus.
- divided into three phases:
a. Lag/Latenr Phase – is the time
between the application of the
stimulus and beginning of
contraction. It is when the action
potential travels along the nerve to
the axon to be passed through the
synaptic cleft then to the post
synaptic membrane or to the muscle.
b. Contraction Phase - is the time
THREE FIBER TYPES BASED ON THE
during which the muscle will
MYOSIN IT HAS
contract, it's the cross-bridge
movement of the filaments.
c. Relaxation Phase – it is when the
muscle will relax, at this point, the
calcium that is attached to the
troponin is transported back into the
sarcoplasmic reticulum. Because if
the calcium is transported back the
tropomyosin will be covered by the
actin binding sites, therefore, there
are no myosin attachments and cross
bridge formation. It is the end of the
contraction
TWO WAYS TO INCREASE MUSCLE
FORCE
1. Summation – This involves increasing the
force of contraction of muscle fibers
within the muscle by rapidly stimulating
them. If the stimulus frequency increases,
there is no time to relax; there contractions
will be added up to form one contraction.
As a result, the overall force of the
contraction will increase. There is tetanus
which is a sustained contraction that
occurs when the frequency of stimulation
is so rapid that there is no relaxation.
2. Recruitment - This involves increasing
the number of muscle fibers contracting.
Increasing the number of muscle fibers
happens gradually and by size. The smaller
muscle fibers will be used then it will
become larger and larger, it will recruit
larger and larger and larger; the
recruitment is gradual, because if all motor
units in a muscle will be stimulated
simultaneously the resulting motion would
be quick and jerky. However, because they
are recruited gradually, it has smooth, slow
and sustained contractions. The
recruitment is from small to large because
there is a size principle.
- The speed of contraction is already written
in the name. The type 2s have fast
contraction then type 1 has a slow
contraction.
- type 2b has the fastest contraction out of
the three and it is ten times faster than the
type one.
- In terms of diameter, smallest is slow
twitch or a type1 then type 2b is the
largest.
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- Myoglobin wherein the oxygen capacity
of the fiber is higher on the slow twitch
and fast twitch 2A, an low for type 2B
- mitochondria which is for energy, are
only a few can type 2b while many can
type 2a and type 1, meaning they have a
lot of energy source, it has a lot of oxygen
and energy.
- For Metabolism, type 1 has a high aerobic
capacity so it has a high capacity to change
or to use oxygen to create energy. While
the 2A has a high anaerobic-intermediate
aerobic, it uses both with oxygen and
without oxygen to create energy. While in
the fast twitch glycolytic, it has the highest
anaerobic capacity, meaning it does not
use oxygen to create energy; however, it is
also draining easily because there are other
products if anaerobic cycles. The fatigue
resistance is low for type 2b.
ROLES OF MUSCLES
1.AGONIST OR PRIME MOVER – muscle
responsible for the movement. Example: elbow
flexion, the agonist would be elbow flexor
muscles. - Ex. Biceps muscles
2.ANTAGONIST– muscles whose actions is
opposite to the agonist. For example, during
elbow flexion; the agonist is elbow flexors, the
antagonist is the elbow extensor.
- Important for the control of the movement.
- Ex. Triceps
3.SYNERGISTS - muscles that contract with
agonist for support and to make the movement
efficient.
-For example, smaller muscles with the ability to
flex the elbow.
MUSCLES CONTRACTIONS
1.ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS
- Equal distance and length; the length in
your muscle will not decrease or increase but
there will be tension in your muscles.
- No movement but still have tension in the
muscle.
2.ISOTONIC CONTRACTIONS
- equal tone or tension produced by the
muscle throughout the movement.
- There is a movement in the muscle.
- 2 types:
a. CONCENTRIC CONTRACTIONS –
muscles shorten
b. ECCENTRIC CONCENTRATIONS –
amount of muscle is lengthening; slowly
lowering the movement.
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