Skeletal Muscle Part 3

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to skeletal muscle physiology as outlined in the lecture notes.

Muscle Twitch

Isolated, rapid contraction and relaxation in one muscle fiber due to action potential from a single alpha motor neuron.

Summation

Repeated stimulation that results in force accumulation as the frequency of stimulation increases.

Tetanus

The point when individual contractions are blended into a single sustained contraction.

Length-Tension Relationship

Each muscle has an optimal resting length that allows for the greatest force generation.

Post-activation Potentiation

A phenomenon where recent low-level, non-fatiguing exercise can increase force production.

Force-Velocity Relationship

The relationship indicating that maximal velocity occurs at the lowest force, and maximal force occurs at the slowest velocity.

Power

Calculated as force multiplied by shortening velocity, which increases with velocity up to a certain point.

Motor Unit

One alpha motor neuron and all muscle fibers it innervates, with similar biochemical and contractile properties.

Calcium Release Speed

A factor that affects the speed of muscle contraction.

ATPase Activity

The activity level of ATPase can influence the speed of muscle fiber contraction.