Muscle Structure- Innervation

Motor Neuron

nerve cell that stimulates muscle cells to contract .

•One neuron can stimulate multiple muscle fibers

neuromuscular junction

synapse where a neuron connects with a muscle fiber.

motor unit

group of muscle fibers that a single motor neuron stimulates.

synapse

cell-to-cell junction between a nerve cell and either another nerve cell or a muscle cell

Neuromuscular Junction- Axon

• Axon: The part of the neuron that reaches the muscle fiber.

Presynaptic terminal

• The end of the nerve axon.

Postsynaptic membrane:

• The sarcolemma of the muscle cell.

Synaptic vesicles:

• Store and release chemicals.

Synaptic cleft:

• The space between the two cells. The cells do not touch each other.

2 noters

• Chemicals are released into the synaptic cleft and then bind to the sarcolemma of the muscle fiber.

The neuron communicates with the muscle cell at the synapse and stimulates it to contract.

Synapse structure

synapse structure

neuromuscular junction structure

neuromuscular junction structure