Muscle Contraction

How does the skeletal muscles contract?

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 Actin Filaments

• 17-5
Myosin: Actin-Based Motor Proteins

Multiple Myosin II molecules assemble into a

bipolar thick filament
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Accessory proteins to stabilize and scaffold sarcomere
What causes Ca2+ to rise and initiate contraction?

Action potential
triggered at the PM
of the neuromuscular
junction

15
How does the Ca2+ signal get throughout the muscle fibers?

Neuromuscular junction

AP

AP

AP
Ca2+ Channel between plasma membrane and sarcoplamic reticulum

Inside of T-tubule

Inside of sarcoplasmic reticulum

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