Properties of skeletal
muscles
Properties of skeletal muscle
Excitability
Contractility
Conductivity
Summation
Shows tetanus
Shows fatigue
Shows absolute and relative refractory period
All or none law obey by single motor unit
Excitability
It is a properties by tissue respond to stimuli.
In skeletal muscle fibre excitability depending upon
the strength and duration of curve and the
electrogenic state of muscle fibre when stimulus is
applied.
Strength Duration curve
Rheobase : it is a minimum strength of stimulus
which excite the excitable tissue, If allowed to flow
through it for an adequate time .
Utilization time: The time for which it must be
applied is called Utilization time.
Chronaxie: The length of time for which a current of
twice “ rheobase” intensity applied to produce the
response .
Chronaxie value of any given excitable tissue is
constant for that tissue.
Therefore , chronaxie values as unit of excitability
have been used to compare excitability of various
tissue.
It is similar to that plotted for the nerve.
But chronaxie value for skeletal muscle fibre is longer
than that of nerve fibre
It is prolonged in – Paralysed Muscle.
- Neuronal Disease
- Myopathies
- Low temperatures
Chronaxie value in frog’s skeletal muscle is about 3
millisecond
Normal value of chronaxie in human skeletal muscle
varies from 0.08 milliseconds to 0.32 milliseconds
Chronaxie is 10 times more in skeletal muscle of
infants than in adult
Significance: It measure the excitability of the
tissue. more excitable the tissue lesser is the
chronaxie
Large myelinated nerve fibre is the most excitable
tissue.
Factor affecting the excitability
1.Increasing the excitability
Increase the potassium ion concentration in
extracellular fluid
Reduced calcium ion concentration in extracellular
fluid
2.Decreasing the excitability
High extracellular fluid calcium
Lower extracellular fluid potassium
Local anaesthetics like procaine and tetracaine
features Skeletal muscle fibre Nerve fibre
Resting membrane -90 MV -70MV
potential
Initial excitation threshold 30-40 MV 15 MV
potential level
Magnitude of action 120-130 mV 100-105mV
potential
Duration of spike 2-4 msec Variable 0.4-2 msec
potential
Absolute refractory period 1-3 msec 0.4-2 msec
Maximum no of impulses 100-200/sec 1000/sec
which can pass
Features Skeletal muscle fibre Nerve fibre
Threshold of electrical more less
stimulation
Conduction velocity of 5 mts/sec Variable (directly
action potential proportional to diameter
of nerve fibre)
Chronaxie(to compare longer shorter
excitability)
Equilibrium potential
Na+ +65mV +60mV
K+ -95mV -90mV
Cl- -90mV -70mv
Contractility
For that you understand the
1.Contractile and elastic components of
muscle
2.Muscle length
3.Types of muscle fibres
4.Motor unit
Contractile component:
It represent the thick and thin filaments present
in myofibril.
It consider viscous in nature
Means it offer resistance to stretch and unable to
return it original length after it has shortened
It consists of 60% of total muscle protein
Series elastic component:
Elastic tissue of muscle which is present in series with
contractile component of tissue
It consists of elastic tendon
It offer resistance to Passive stretch and isometric
contraction (how muscle is able to contract even when
its external length does not change)
Parallel elastic component:
It is attached parallel to elastic component
It is represented by Structural elastic tissue of muscle
such as connective tissue sheath of muscle ,
sarcolemma and gap filament.
SEC and PEC combined form 40 percent of total
muscle protein.
Motor unit
It is the functional unit of muscle contraction in the
intact body
It consists of single motor neuron cell body and
the muscle fibre innervated by it
The cell bodies of motor neuron(alpha motor
neuron) supplying the skeletal muscle fibre lie in
the ventral horn of spinal cord or motor cranial
nerve nuclei.
This is the smallest part of muscle that can be made to
contract independently
Characteristic features of
motor unit
INNERVATION RATIO:
The number of muscle fibres supplied by single
neuron constitute the innervation ratio or the
size of motor unit
It varies with precision movement to be produced by
the muscle supplied.
In extraoccular muscle and hand muscles(fine
movement) the innervations ratio is 3 to 6 muscle
fibres per motor unit.
The gastrocnemius muscle and back muscle
(maintaining the posture) the innervation ratio
up to 2000 muscle fibres per motor unit
Types of motor unit
Each spinal motor neuron innervate only one
kind of muscle fibre so, all the muscle fibre in
motor unit are of same type.
Two type of muscle fibre
Motor unit type I Motor unit type II
Red muscle fibre (contain more White muscle fibre
myoglobin)
They are innervated by small, slow They are innervated by large , fast
conducting motor neuron therefore conducting motor neuron therefore called
called “slow” muscle fibre . “fast” muscle fibre.
Motor unit innervation ratio high Motor unit innervation ratio low(3-6
(2000 muscle fibre per motor unit) muscle fibre) extraoccular muscle
postural muscle
Resistant to fatigue It is fatigue easily
It is aerobic,
low glycolytic It is anaerobic,
high glycolytic,
,high oxidative capacity low oxidative capacity
Motor unit type I Motor unit type II
It involve in tonic activity It involve in phasic activity
Longer contraction time (0.1 sec) Shorter contraction time(0.025
sec)
They are required to work when They are suited for high intensity
endurance type activities(means work for only short period
low intensity work for a longer period)
such as in athletes, running bicyclist,
swimmers
More number of mitochondria Less number of mitochondria
Capillary density is more Capillary density is less
All the efferent fibre passing to skeletal muscles are
excitatory. It does not produce relaxation of muscle
on stimulation.
Recruitment of motor units
This depends on the force of contraction required.
In normal individual at rest-slow asynchronous
discharge(result in little spontaneous activity)
Minimum voluntary activity-few motor units are
activated
Increasing voluntary activity-more motor unit are
activated.
Muscle unit : The group of muscle fibres innervated
by a single motor neuron is called motor unit.
Macromotor unit: Seen in poliomyelitis.
where some motor neurons are destroyed.
so the neighbouring nerve fibres give rise to collateral
branches which supply the paralysed muscle fibre.
So large motor unit is called macromotor unit.
Contractile response
Two types
Isometric contraction
Isotonic contraction
Frog’s gastrocnemius sciatic nerve preparation is used.
Simple muscle twitch
It is a typical contractile response consists of a brief
contraction followed by relaxation and is referred to
as simple muscle twitch.
Phases of simple muscle twitch
Causes of latent period
Time taken by impulse to travel from point of
stimulation on the nerve to neuromuscular junction.
Time taken by impulse for neuromuscular
transmission
Time taken by excitation contraction coupling
Time taken by chemical event to cause muscle
contraction
Time taken by inertia of recording lever
PHYSIOLOGICAL CURVE:
It is obtained after the simple muscle curve is over
It is due to the inertia of the lever
Its normal duration 10 msec.
Factors affecting latent period
It is longer when distance between the point of
stimulation on nerve and the neuromuscular junction
is more
More if load on muscle heavier
Decrease with increase temperature
Factors affecting the
contractile response
Strength of stimulus
Frequency of stimulus
Load on muscle (pre load and after load)
Initial length
temperature
STRENGTH OF STIMULUS
In the isolated nerve muscle preparation (Quantal
Summation) (Multi motor unit summation)
Sub threshold stimuli
Threshold stimuli
Suprathreshold stimuli(sub maximal response)
Maximal stimuli
Supra maximal stimuli
At sub threshold stimulus: no motor unit recruited
and hence no response achieved.
At threshold stimulus: the minimum number of
motor unit (1to2) are recruited which are just sufficient
to excite minimal response.
At suprathreshold stimulus: more and more motor
unit are recruited producing progressively increasing
response
At maximal stimulus: all motor unit are recruited
producing the maximal response
At supramaximal stimulus: no further unit are left
to be recruited ,so the response achieved is not more
than a maximal response.
Frequency of stimulus
Effect of two successive stimuli:
it depending upon the length of interval between the
two successive stimuli
The effect observed are
No response
Summation
Superposition
Beneficial effect
No response:
if u applied the second stimulus during the first half of
latent period . No response is obtained
Second stimulus as this period correspond with the
absolute refractory period
The muscle respond to a first stimulus and curve
similar to simple muscle curve
Summation:
When the second stimulus is applied from the second half
of latent period to contraction phase.
When effect of two stimuli is summed and a single curve is
achieved. This is phenomenon is called summation of
stimuli
The graph obtained shows in increase in force of
contraction - an effect called summation of contraction
or wave summation
This is due beneficial effect:
when the second stimulus is applied any stage after
the first half of latent period. the force of contraction
is more than that of first one.
The contraction produced by first one is proves
beneficial for second one. This is called beneficial
effect
Causes of beneficial effect:
Some of calcium ion release from the terminal cistern
in to sarcoplasm during first contraction are also
available in addition of those released by second
stimulus when two stimuli are applied successively.
These additional ca+2 increase the duration of active
state in turn increases amount of stretch on series
elastic component of muscle and so more force
transmitting to recording lever. ( or to the bones in
intact body),the increase the height of curve
Viscosity of muscle and thus elastic inertia of the
muscle decreased to some extent by first contraction,
which contributes to be beneficial effect for second
contraction.
Increase h+ ions concentration due to first
contraction also adds to the beneficial effect for the
second contraction.
Increase in the temp : decrease the viscosity of
muscle and thus contribute to the beneficial effect
TETANUS
STAIRCASE EFFECT(TRAPPE)
When the frequency of stimulation is such that next
stimulus fall after completion of relaxation phase
of previous twitch then succeeding contraction
obtained
Such a response is called discrete response.
Each successive stimuli has increased force of
contraction (due to beneficial effect) till a maximal
beneficial effect is achieved this phenomenon is called
TRAPPE(German word for staircase)
If the total duration of twitch 100msec ,then frequency
less than 10/sec will produce discrete responses with a
staircase effect.
Incomplete tetanus (CLONUS)
When the frequancy of multiple stimuli is such that the
next successive stimuli fall on the relaxation phase of
previous twitch the succeeding contraction obtained will
be superimposed over the previous twitch due to
incomplete summation of wave.
So the series of jerky contraction of muscle with period of
incomplete relaxation in between , so obtained is referred
to a state of subtetanus or incomplete tetanus or
clonus.
Complete tetanus
When the frequency of multiple stimuli is such that
the next successive stimulus fall from second half of
latent period to contraction phase of previous twitch
(means before relaxation begins)then due to complete
summation effect
Muscle will remain in a state of sustained ,smooth
and forceful contraction called tetanus or tetanic
contraction
Muscle fatigue
It is a temporary reduction in working capacity of the
cell, an organ or an organism as a whole resulting from
prolonged exertion .
It is a reversible phenomenon and passes of after a
rest.
In isolated nerve muscle
preparation
if rhythmic electrical stimuli are applied for some
time , the amplitude of contraction gradually fall to
zero.
Due to:
Lack of nutrition
Accumulation of waste metabolites
Depletion of Ach
Inadequate supply of ATP
Observation
A marked beneficial effect for the first few contraction
Duration of active state is prolonged.
Subsequently the height of contraction decrease and relaxation
period gets prolonged ending in phenomenon of “contracture”
At the end muscle remain in the state of partial contraction
called contraction remainder and contracture.
On direct stimulation , the muscle respond which
shows that muscle is not the seat of fatigue
On a fresh preparation ,stimulated through the nerve
of fatigue preparation showing that nerve is not the
site of fatigue
So , the seat fatigue must be the neuromuscular
junction.
Oxygen Debt
Vigorous exercise causes dramatic changes in muscle
chemistry
For a muscle to return to a resting state:
Oxygen reserves must be replenished
Lactic acid must be converted to pyruvic acid
Glycogen stores must be replaced
ATP and CP reserves must be resynthesized
Oxygen debt – the extra amount of O2 needed for the
above restorative processes
MCQ
2.The motor unit is
a) Muscle fibre and neurons supplying it
b) Ventral horn cell along with its motor nerve
c) Single motor neuron and all the muscle fibre it
supplies
d) Single muscle fibre with its nerve
3.Muscle fatigue is due to
a) Long latency
b) Low ATPase activity
c) Slow contraction of muscle
d) Inadequate supply of ATP
4. fast twitch (white) muscle fibres differ from slow
twitch (red) muscles in that former
a) Resistance to fatigue
b) Red muscle fiber
c) An adapted for posture maintaining contraction
d) High glycolytic and slow oxidative capacity
5.Which of these muscles have motor unit with
the highest innervetion ratio?
a) Extraoccular muscle
b) Muscle of hand
c) Muscle of limb
d) Muscle of back
6. Chronaxie
a) It measure the excitability of the nerve and
muscle
b) Lesser the chronaxie value more excitable
c) In skeletal muscle fiber longer chronaxie value
than nerve.
d) All of the above
Thank you
