Skeletal Muscle Physiology Vocabulary

A single action potential causes a brief contraction followed by a relaxation in the muscle. This is called a single ___________________.

• muscle twitch

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

Identify A: Very brief delay between stimulus and contraction.

• muscle twitch

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

Identify B: Time when muscle generates external tension. The force generated can overcome the load and cause movement.

• muscle twitch

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

Identify C: Time when tension declines to baseline. SR reabsorbs Ca²⁺, myosin releases actin and tension decreases. Takes longer than contraction.

• muscle twitch

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

A muscle fiber remains unresponsive to stimulation unless the stimulus is of a certain strength, called the ____________ ______________.

• muscle twitch

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

It is the strongest stimulus that produces increased muscle contractile force.

• maximal stimulus

• latent period

• contraction period

• relaxation period

• threshold stimulus

The successive activation of the same and additional motor units with increasing strength of voluntary muscle contraction. It allows muscles to have slow, smooth sustained contractions so our movements are not jerky.

• motor unit recruitment

• wave summation

• stimulus frequency

• stimulus intensity

__________ _____________ occurs when a given set of cells is repeatedly simulated without complete relaxation.

• motor unit recruitment

• wave summation

• stimulus frequency

• stimulus intensity

Term that refers to how often stimulus is applied (or rate of delivery).

• motor unit recruitment

• wave summation

• stimulus frequency

• stimulus intensity

Term that refers to how often stimulus is applied (or rate of delivery).

• motor unit recruitment

• wave summation

• stimulus frequency

• stimulus intensity