Neural Control
The primary cells of the nervous system are called what?
Neurons
Smallest contractile unit of skeletal muscle
Sarcomere
What is protein turnover?
Protein synthesis : degradation ratio
Which chamber of the heart pumps blood into the pulmonary circuit? How about the systemic circuit?
Right ventricle: pulmonary
Left ventricle: systemic
Thermal balance is a function of which two factors?
Heat gain vs heat loss
This site is the interface between a neuron and a muscle fiber
Nueromuscular junction NMJ
Actin and myosin
The capacity of skeletal muscle to make adaptive changes to a given stimulus
Myoplasticity
What is the heart's primary pacemaker?
SA node
Which portion of the brain is considered the body's thermostat?
Hypothalamus
Depolarization and repolarization of skeletal muscle fibers involve the transmembrane movement of which two ions?
Potassium: repolarization
What is the primary function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum?
Storage and release of Ca++ ions
Adaptations in this area drive improvements in strength in the first days and weeks of resistance training
Neural adaptations
Athlete's heart is characterized by three main findings. What are they?
Bradycardia, cardiomegaly, LVH
In terms of physiologic responses to heat, this is considered the workhorse of thermal control
Circulation
What are the three components of a nueromuscular junction?
Axon terminal, synaptic cleft, motor end plate
Define the length-tension relationship
Sarcomeres have an optimal length to produce maximal tension. They must have the ideal ratio of cross bridge capacity and shortening capacity. If they leave this optimal range, tension development is reduced.
Activation of this pathway is critical for skeletal muscle hypertophy
mTOR
These conductile fibers wrap around the inferior portion of the heart and stimulate ventricular contraction
Purkinje fibers
There are four primary ways heat is dissipated from the body. One of them is radiation. What are the other three?
Conduction, convection, evaporation
Acetylcholine is released when an action potential reaches the NMJ. ACh then binds to receptors on the skeletal muscle membrane which increases permeability to which ion?
Calcium
What is the role of calcium in actin/moysin cross bridge cycling? Be specific.
Calcium binds to troponin which shifts tropomyosin off of the myosin binding sites on actin.
This pathway, initiated by endurance exercise has been posited to inhibit the activity of the mTOR pathway, possibly reducing hypertrophy
AMPK
What is the role of intercalated discs in cardiac muscle contraction?
Allows a direct chemical and electrical connection between all cells that allow the heart to function as a single large cell
Which two hormones are key in the body's response to heat. Play a large role in fluid/electrolyte balance and sweating.
Aldosterone and vasopressin (ADH)