Oxygen Use and Muscle Contraction

How does oxygen get from air into your bloodstream?

Oxygen enters the bloodstream through the process of respiration (through the nose or mouth) → travels down the trachea → into the lungs and diffuses across the alveolar membrane → into the capillaries where it binds to hemoglobin in RBCs

How does oxygen get to a cell in your bicep?

Oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the lungs to the heart then through arteries to the bicep. Capillaries in the muscle tissue deliver oxygen directly to the muscle cells

What purpose does oxygen have at the cellular level?

Oxygen is used in the mitochondria for aerobic respiration. In the electron transport chain oxygen helps produce ATP by accepting electrons and forming water

What is ATP and what is it used for in the body?

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the primary energy carrier in cells. It powers muscle contractions, active transport, cell division, and other energy requiring processes

What happens if oxygen is not available to make ATP?

Without oxygen, cells switch to anaerobic respiration (glycolysis) leading to the production of less ATP and generating lactic acid which can cause muscle fatigue and cramps.

Which part of your brain initiates the movement of your arm?

The primary motor cortex in the frontal lobe sends signals through motor neurons to initiate voluntary muscle movement

How is oxygen used in your muscle cell?

Oxygen allows mitochondria in muscle cells to perform aerobic respiration producing large amounts of ATP needed for sustained contraction

How is movement created by the contracting (or shortening) of your bicep?

Movement occurs when ATP allows myosin heads in muscle fibers to bind and pull on actin filaments. This leads to the sarcomere shortening which shortens the muscle creating contraction