Muscle Fibers and Motor Neurons

These flashcards cover key concepts related to muscle fibers, motor neurons, and neuromuscular control mechanisms based on the lecture notes.

Motor Unit

A single neuron and all the fibers it innervates.

Action Potential

An electrical impulse that stimulates muscle fibers to contract.

Innervation Ratio

The number of muscle fibers per motor neuron.

Recruitment

The increase or decrease in the number of motor units involved in a task, affecting muscular force.

Rate Coding

The increase or decrease in a motor unit's firing rate, impacting muscular force.

Soma

The cell body of a motor neuron, containing the nucleus and receiving input through dendrites.

Dendrites

The part of the neuron that receives information from other neurons.

Twitch Force

The force generated from a single muscle contraction due to action potentials.

Alpha Motor Neuron

A type of motor neuron that innervates muscle fibers.

Fibre Atrophy

The loss of muscle fibers due to aging or disuse.