Skeletal Muscle Demo

Demonstration of some of the biochemical mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle contraction. Calcium ions bind to troponin causing a change in shape of tropomyosin. This exposes myosin binding protein on actin. If a nearby myosin head is already cocked, binding to the myosin binding molecule triggers contraction of the myosin head, pulling the actin molecule. ATP binding to the contracted myosin head causes it to release from the myosin binding molecule and recock. If another myosin binding protein is nearby, the cycle repeats. If there is no ATP available to trigger the release of the myosin head, the muscle remains in a contracted state, as in rigor mortis.

Category:

Science & Technology

[HodgeBioClass]

great job! thanks for sharing

[anabaptistnun]

I love it- it makes it so clear.. I just wish I could put it in slow motion.

[LarryCanFly]

Very cool, thanks for posting.