Muscle Tissue Properties and Functions

Flashcards covering key concepts about muscle tissue properties, organization, and the mechanism of contraction.

What is the ability of a muscle to shorten with force known as?

Contractility.

What does excitability in muscle tissue refer to?

The capacity of muscle to respond to a stimulus.

What is the term for the ability of muscle to recoil to its original resting length?

Elasticity.

What is the organizational structure of a skeletal muscle fiber covered by?

Endomysium.

What surrounds muscle fibers grouped in bundles called fascicles?

Perimysium.

What connects groups of fascicles to form a muscle?

Epimysium.

What type of cells do skeletal muscle fibers derive from during development?

Myoblasts.

What are the modified endoplasmic reticulum structures called in muscle cells?

Sarcoplasmic reticulum.

What are the structures called that form a functional unit with T tubules in muscle cells?

Triads.

What protein do thick filaments primarily consist of?

Myosin.

What structure contains thick and thin filaments and is the basic unit of skeletal muscle contraction?

Sarcomere.

What are the steps in muscle contraction initiated by calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum?

1. Calcium binds to troponin 2. Tropomyosin moves exposing actin binding sites 3. Myosin head forms cross bridge and bends.

What is the process by which myosin heads detach from actin once contraction is complete?

Cross-bridge detachment.

What role does acetylcholinesterase play in muscle relaxation?

It breaks down ACh to limit the duration of contraction.

What is the main function of the neuromuscular junction?

Control of skeletal muscle activity by a nerve signal.

What are the binding molecules associated with thin filaments in muscle fibers?

Nebulin & dystrophin.