BIOL 260 LECTUR E OUTLINE – WHOLE MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY Page 1 of 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain the role of motor-unit recruitment in whole mus cle tension development
Define isotonic, isometric, eccentric and concentric muscle contractions
I. WHOLE MUSCLE CONTRACTION
A. Whole muscles can create graded contractions by variable
recruitment of motor units
1. Whole muscle twi tch defined
a) In vitro
b) In vivo
2. Motor Units
a) Each muscle is served by a single nerve bu t
each nerve may contain thousands of sensory and
motor fibers
b) Innervation ratios
3. Increasing force of contraction requires recruitment of
different types of motor units
a) threshold
b) Fatigue resistance
TEXT: ________
FIG: _______
