Muscle Physiology pt 1

A set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to muscle physiology.

Skeletal Muscle

Muscle formed from long, multinucleate fibers that can contract quickly.

Sarcolemma

The plasma membrane surrounding muscle fibers.

Twitch

A single stimulus causing a quick muscle contraction and relaxation.

Isotonic contraction

A contraction resulting in a change in muscle length.

Cross-bridge Cycle

The process of myosin heads binding to actin, leading to muscle contraction.

Excitation-contraction coupling

A sequence of events whereby an action potential in a motor neuron leads to muscle contraction.

Neuromuscular junction

The synapse between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle fiber.

Calcium release channels

Channels that release calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the cytoplasm during muscle contraction.

Tetanic contraction

A sustained muscular contraction resulting from rapid stimulation.

Length-Tension Relationship

The relationship that describes how muscle tension varies with changes in sarcomere length.