Muscle Contraction Types, Anatomy, and Physiology: A Comprehensive Quiz

What is isotonic contraction?

A contraction that occurs when muscles shorten and thicken, resulting in movement.

What is isometric contraction?

A contraction that occurs when the muscle length does not appreciably change but muscle tension increases.

What is skeletal muscle?

The voluntary muscle attached to bones that is responsible for movement.

What is a motor nerve?

A nerve that controls muscle contractions.

Which muscle extends the elbow?

The triceps brachii.

What is lactic acid?

A waste product produced during the anaerobic metabolism of glucose.

What is a motor neuron?

A neuron that releases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

How many skeletal muscles are there approximately?

About 600 skeletal muscles work together to allow us to carry on daily activities.

What are myofibrils?

Thread-like structures that fill each muscle fiber and are responsible for muscle contraction.

What is epimysium?

A covering of connective tissue that surrounds each muscle.

What are muscle fibers?

Cells that make up skeletal muscles, often referred to as muscle cells.

What is muscle tone?

A state of partial contraction of muscles even when not actively moving.

What is acetylcholinesterase?

An enzyme that breaks down excess acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft.

What are tendons?

Tough cords of connective tissue that anchor muscles to bones.

What is the plasma membrane?

The membrane that has many inward extensions forming transverse tubules in muscle fibers.

What are filaments?

Smaller structures that make up myofibrils and are composed of protein threads.

What is oxygen debt?

The amount of oxygen required to restore normal conditions after exercise.

What is rapid breathing?

A process that helps pay back oxygen debt by breaking down lactic acid.

What are synergists?

Muscles that assist the agonist in performing a movement.

What is the trapezius muscle?

A muscle that adducts the scapula, rotates it, and draws the shoulders upward.

What is the zygomatic muscle?

A muscle that elevates the upper corners of the mouth.

What is the gluteus maximus?

A muscle that extends and rotates the thigh laterally and tilts the pelvis.

What is the rectus abdominis?

A muscle that flexes the trunk and compresses abdominal contents.

What is the origin of a muscle?

The attachment of the muscle to the less movable bone.

What is the insertion of a muscle?

The attachment of the muscle to the more movable bone.

What does antagonistically mean?

Describes how the biceps and triceps work against each other to control movement.

What does the biceps brachii do?

It flexes the elbow.

What is muscle fatigue?

A condition resulting from the depletion of ATP, leading to weaker contractions.

What are the external intercostals responsible for?

They are important in the process of breathing.

What does the gastrocnemius muscle do?

It flexes the knee.

What does the masseter muscle do?

It is important in chewing.

What are fascicles?

Bundles of muscle fibers arranged within a muscle.

What is the agonist muscle?

The muscle that contracts to produce a particular action.

What produces a pattern of bands or striations in muscle?

The overlapping of myosin and actin filaments.

What are actin filaments?

Thin filaments that consist of the protein actin.

What are neurons?

Highly specialized cells that receive and transmit electrical and chemical signals throughout the body.