Physiology of Muscular Contractions
Figure 2. Actin and Myosin
Figure 1. Muscle Contraction
When a muscle contracts, it physiologically shortens. Because many muscles cross over a joint, the shortened muscle causes movement of the body (here elbow flexion). Read text below for more detail
Notes:
This slide provides an overview of the physiology of a skeletal muscular contraction.
- Figure 1. When a muscle contracts, it shortens. Because tbe muscle crosses over a joint, the shortened muscle produces movement (elbow flexion caused by the contraction of the Biceps is shown here)=
- Figure 2. The shortening of a muscle during a contraction occurs when two protein filaments (actin and myosin) within the muscle fiber slide past each other. Cross bridges form between the two filaments and generate the tension during a muscular contraction.
Figures used with permission from Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology (Shier, Butler and Lewis) - McGraw Hill Publishers