ELECTRICAL CHANGES DURING MUSCULAR CONTRACTION

RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL

• electrical potential difference (voltage) across the cell membrane (between

inside and outside of the cell) under resting condition.

• Development and maintenance of resting membrane potential in a muscle

fiber or a neuron are carried out by movement of ions, which produce ionic
imbalance across the cell membrane.

• This results in the development of more positivity outside and more negativity
inside the cell.

• Ionic imbalance is produced by two factors:

1. Sodium potassium pump

2. Selective permeability of cell membrane

• Channels for major anions like proteins, organic phosphate and sulfate
• Leak channels. 1
ACTION POTENTIAL

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 MOLECULAR BASIS OF MUSCULAR CONTRACTION
Molecular mechanism is responsible for formation of actomyosin complex that results in
muscular contraction. It includes three stages:
1. Excitation-contraction coupling.
2. Role of troponin and tropomyosin.
3. Sliding mechanism.

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 Excitation-contraction Coupling
Process that
• occurs in between the excitation and contraction of the
muscle.
• responsible for the contraction of excited muscle

Stages of excitation-contraction coupling

1. When a muscle is excited (stimulated) by impulses
passing through motor nerve and neuromuscular
junction, action potential is generated in muscle fiber.
2. Action potential spreads over sarcolemma and muscle
fiber through ‘T’ tubules.
3. ‘T’ tubules - responsible for rapid spread of action
potential into muscle fiber.
4. When the action potential reaches the cisternae of ‘L’
tubules, these cisternae are excited.
5. Now, the calcium ions stored in the cisternae are
released into the sarcoplasm
6. The calcium ions from the sarcoplasm move towards
the actin filaments to produce the contraction.
7. the calcium ion forms the link or coupling material
between the excitation and the contraction of muscle.
Hence, the calcium ions are said to form the basis of
excitation-contraction coupling
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 Role of Troponin and Tropomyosin
1. Head of myosin molecules has a strong tendency to get attached with active
site of F actin.

2. However, in relaxed condition, the active site of F actin is covered by the

tropomyosin. Therefore, the myosin head cannot combine with actin
molecule.

3. Large number of calcium ions, which are released from ‘L’ tubules during the
excitation of the muscle, bind with troponin C.

4. The loading of troponin C with calcium ions produces some change in the
position of troponin molecule. It in turn, pulls tropomyosin molecule away
from F actin.

5. Due to the movement of tropomyosin, the active site of F actin is uncovered

and exposed.

6. Immediately the head of myosin gets attached to the actin.

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 Sliding Mechanism and Formation of Actomyosin Complex – Sliding Theory/ ratchet theory/walk along theory

Sliding theory explains how actin filaments slide over myosin filaments and form actomyosin complex during muscular
contraction.

1. Each cross bridge from myosin filaments has got three components namely, a hinge, an arm and a head.

2. After binding with active site of F actin, the myosin head is tilted towards the arm so that the actin filament is
dragged along with it - called power stroke.

3. After tilting, the head immediately breaks away from the active site and returns to the original position.

4. Now, it combines with a new active site on the actin molecule. And, tilting movement occurs again. Thus, the head
of cross bridge bends back and forth and pulls the actin filament towards the center of sarcomere.

5. In this way, all the actin filaments of both the ends of sarcomere are pulled.

6. So, the actin filaments of opposite sides overlap and form actomyosin complex - results in contraction of the
muscle.
7. When the muscle shortens further, the actin filaments from opposite ends of the sarcomere approach each other.

8. ‘H’ zone becomes narrow, ‘Z’ lines come closer with reduction in length of the sarcomere.

9. However, the length of ‘A’ band is not altered. But, the length of ‘I’ band decreases.

10. In severe muscular contraction, actin filaments from opposite ends overlap and the ‘H’ zone disappears.

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 Diagram showing power stroke by myosin head.
Stage 1: Myosin head binds with actin; Stage 2: Tilting of myosin head (power stroke) drags the actin filament

Changes in sarcomere during muscular contraction

1. Length of all the sarcomeres decreases as the ‘Z’ lines come close
to each other
2. Length of the ‘I’ band decreases since the actin filaments from
opposite side overlap
3. ‘H’ zone either decreases or disappears
4. Length of ‘A’ band remains the same.
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 Energy for Muscular Contraction
Energy for movement of myosin head (power stroke) is obtained by
breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into adenosine
diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi).

1. Head of myosin has a site for ATP. Actually the head itself can act as the enzyme
ATPase and catalyze the breakdown of ATP.

2. Even before the onset of contraction, an ATP molecule binds with myosin head.

3. When tropomyosin moves to expose the active sites, the head is attached to the
active site.

4. Now ATPase cleaves ATP into ADP and Pi, which remains in head itself.

5. The energy released during this process is utilized for contraction.

6. When head is tilted, the ADP and Pi are released and a new ATP molecule binds with
head.

7. This process is repeated until the muscular contraction is completed. 9

 Relaxation of the Muscle
1. Relaxation of the muscle occurs when the
calcium ions are pumped back into the L
tubules.

2. When calcium ions enter the L tubules,

calcium content in sarcoplasm decreases
leading to the release of calcium ions from
the troponin.

3. It causes detachment of myosin from actin

followed by relaxation of the muscle

4. The detachment of myosin from actin

obtains energy

5. Thus, the chemical process of muscular

relaxation is an active process although the
physical process is said to be passive.

6. Molecular Motors Along with other proteins

and some enzymes, actin and myosin form
the molecular motors, which are involved in
movements.
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 CHEMICAL CHANGES DURING MUSCULAR CONTRACTION
• Breakdown of ATP - broken into ADP and inorganic
phosphate (Pi) and energy is liberated

• Spread of action potential into the muscle

• Liberation of calcium ions from cisternae of ‘L’ tubules into the sarcoplasm
• Movements of myosin head
• Sliding mechanism

• Resynthesis of ATP
• from creatine phosphate
• by carbohydrate metabolism – glycolysis, cori cycle, krebs cycle

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 Neuromuscular Junction
Neuromuscular junction is the junction between terminal branch of the nerve fiber and
muscle fiber.

Skeletal muscle fibers are innervated by the motor nerve fibers. Each nerve fiber (axon)
divides into many terminal branches.

Each terminal branch innervates one muscle fiber through the neuromuscular junction

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 NEUROMUSCULAR TRANSMISSION

• Neuromuscular transmission is defined as the transfer of information from motor nerve

ending to the muscle fiber through neuromuscular junction.
• It is the mechanism by which the motor nerve impulses initiate muscle contraction.

• Events of Neuromuscular
Transmission

1. Release of acetylcholine
2. Action of acetylcholine
3. Development of endplate potential
4. Development of miniature endplate
potential
5. Destruction of acetylcholine.

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 Sequence of events during
neuromuscular transmission

Myasthenia gravis
• autoimmune disease of neuromuscular
junction caused by antibodies to
cholinergic receptors
• characterized by grave weakness of the
muscle due to the inability of
neuromuscular junction to transmit
impulses from nerve to the muscle.
• serious and sometimes a fatal disease

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 MOLECULAR BASIS OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CONTRACTION

• Process of excitation and contraction is very slow in smooth muscles because of poor
development of ‘L’ tubules (sarcoplasmic reticulum).

• So, the calcium ions, which are responsible for excitation-contraction coupling, must be
obtained from the extracellular fluid.

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• Electromyography - study of electrical activity of the muscle.

• Electromyogram (EMG) - graphical registration of the electrical

activity of the muscle

• Electromyograph - Cathode ray oscilloscope or a polygraph is used

to record the electromyogram.

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