Lecture 1
- Describe, in detail, the structure of cell membranes.
- How does the structure of the cell membrane reveal/influence the function
of that cell?
- What type of molecules is the cell membrane most permeable to, and most
impermeable to? Why?
- Explain the structure and function of the sodium-potassium pump.
- Provide concentrations for the main electrolytes and charged molecules
that occur within intracellular and extracellular fluid.
- Be able to calculate the Nernst Potentials for sodium and potassium.
- Be able to define the Nernst Potential.
- What determines the resting membrane potential of a cell?
- What are the different methods a molecule might be able to enter or leave
a cell?
- What are the different types of transport channels in a cell membrane?
- Explain the differences between the sodium and potassium channels in an
excitable membrane.
- Be able to draw and label the events (regarding sodium and potassium
channel function and ion flux across the membrane) that happen during a
typical nerve action potential.
- Are all membrane potentials and action potentials the same in all
excitable tissues? Explain.
- Explain how the action potential crosses a synapse.
- Explain how multiple nerve input to a synapse within the CNS can influence
to continued propagation of an action potential.
Lecture 2
- How is the Nervous System arranged from an anatomical perspective?
- How is the Nervous System arranged from a functional perspective?
- Explain the different receptors and neurotransmitters of the Autonomic
Nervous System, and how they differ between the parasympathetic and
sympathetic divisions.
- Be able to provide at least some general description of the complexity of
CNS involvement in the development and instigation of movement patterns.
- Be able to locate the motor and somatosensory cortex on a diagram of the
brain.
- Explain the segmental distribution of spinal motor nerves.
- Provide at least 3 examples of mechano-receptors within the body.
- Explain the basic function of all receptors. Use one as an example.
- What is a receptor potential, and how do receptors sense a stimulus and
convert it to an action potential?
- How does the Nervous System signal and interpret the strength of a
stimulus?
- Explain some differences between all the nerves in the body, and how these
differences relate to the specific functions of some nerve types.
- Be able to label components of the muscle spindle, and explain their
function in static stretch and dynamic changes in muscle length.
Lecture 3
- Know the anatomical arrangement and terminology of muscle from whole
muscle to contractile proteins.
- Be able to label the structural and regional components of a sarcomere.
- Explain the t-tubule and sarcoplasmic reticulum network and arrangement
within skeletal muscle.
- Be able to label diagrams of the different types of contractile proteins,
and their sub-components.
- Where is the ATPase enzyme located within skeletal muscle?
- What are the components of the myosin heavy chain?
- What is the significance of the genetic regulation of the myosin heavy
chain?
- Be able to explain the sequence of events, at the molecular level, of
muscle contraction.
Lecture 4:
- Be
able to list 3-4 basic differences between the structure and function of
skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle.
- How
is cardiac muscle organized to better meet the demands of the
circumferential contraction of the heart?
- What
are intercollated discs?
- If
cardiac muscle is not recruited via motor units, how is the strength of a
myocardial contraction regulated?
- Be
able to label the events that explain the characteristics of the myocardial
action potential.
- What
are the functional benefits of a more prolonged myocardial action potential?
- How
are the contractile proteins of smooth muscle organized?
- How
does calcium regulate smooth muscle contraction?
- Does
smooth muscle have a more efficient (ATP cost is less) contraction mechanism
than skeletal or cardiac muscle? Explain.
Lecture
5:
- What
does the term “fiber type” refer to?
How do these differ to motor units?
- Know
how to explain the procedures involved in myosin ATPase staining.
- Be
able to interpret histology sections of stained muscle when given specific
pre-incubation conditions.
- What
is the PAS stain, and how is it used in research?
- Be
able to list a table of fiber types, providing all distinguishing features.
- What
is the type IIx fiber?
- How
is the molecular biology of the myosin heavy chain being used to further our
knowledge of muscle fiber types?
Lecture
6:
- Be
able to explain the procedure of percutaineous muscle biopsy.
- Be
able to list several limitations of the biopsy procedure when used to
quantify muscle fiber type proportions, or changes in muscle metabolism.
- What
does research reveal about the needs/limitations of biopsy for quantifying
fiber types?
EXAM 2 Content
Lecture
7:
1.
Explain the CNS involvement in the development of motor patterns
supporting movement.
2.
Explain the events involved in the propagation of the action potential
across the neuromuscular junction.
3.
Why might choline be a beneficial ergogenic aid to prolonged exercise?
4.
Briefly explain the differences in the motor neurons that innervate the 4
main types of motor units.
5.
What is the order of motor unit recruitment?
Is this progression as clear/clean as most textbooks indicate?
Explain.
6.
Are there really only four different types of muscle fiber types?
Argue for the existence of a progression of fiber types and motor units.
7.
Why is the PAS stain and subsequent fiber type assessment of muscle
glycogen not an ideal method for quantifying fiber type recruitment/involvement
in a given exercise condition?
Lecture
8:
1.
Define fatigue in relation to muscle function during exercise.
2.
Provide an in-depth explanation of all factors that contribute to fatigue
during short term intense exercise.
3.
What evidence exists to indicate a possible role of the neuromuscular
junction or CNS in muscle fatigue?
4.
Explain the profile and duration of recovery from acidosis and creatine
phosphate regeneration.
Lecture
9:
1.
What are the main methods used in animal research to study the training
effects of muscle contraction?
2.
What are the limitations of these methods?
3.
What is transcription, and what is translation?
4.
How are proteins synthesized?
5.
Why do you think current research is so focused on the regulation of
intracellular Ca2+?
6.
After heavy resistance training, what changes occur in expression of
myosin heavy chain? Why? How does this impact how athletes should train for increased
muscle power?
7.
Does research evidence exist for muscle stress/stretch as an independent
stimulus to adaptation? Explain.
8.
Does hyperplasia occur in human skeletal muscle?
Explain.