Nerve and Muscle Physiology Practice Questions

Q: ATPase activity is present in

Myosin. ***Myosin*** - Myosin heads possess intrinsic **ATPase activity**, meaning they can hydrolyze ATP into ADP and inorganic phosphate. - This **ATP hydrolysis** provides the energy required for the **power stroke** during muscle contraction, detaching the myosin head from actin. *Actin* - Actin filaments themselves do not have ATPase activity. - Actin's primary role is to form the **thin filaments** and bind to myosin heads during contraction. *Actin during interaction with myosin* - While actin interacts with myosin, it does not acquire ATPase activity. - The **myosin head**, not actin, is responsible for ATP hydrolysis during this interaction. *None of the options* - This option is incorrect because **myosin** clearly possesses ATPase activity, which is crucial for muscle function.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a biphasic action potential of a mixed nerve?

Two or more positive peaks. ***Two or more positive peaks*** - A **biphasic action potential** of a mixed nerve, when recorded extracellularly, typically consists of two phases: an initial **negative deflection** followed by a **positive deflection**. It does not exhibit multiple positive peaks for a single action potential. - The shape is determined by the propagation of the action potential past two recording electrodes, illustrating the **depolarization and repolarization** of the nerve. *All or none phenomenon* - This is a fundamental characteristic of **individual nerve fibers** and thus applies to the action potentials propagating within a mixed nerve. - If a stimulus reaches a threshold, a full-sized action potential is generated; otherwise, none is generated, regardless of stimulus strength. *Refractory period* - The **refractory period** is a crucial characteristic of nerve excitability, ensuring unidirectional propagation and limiting the frequency of action potentials. - This period, comprising absolute and relative phases, applies to the individual fibers within the mixed nerve. *Recorded on surface* - **Compound action potentials (CAPs)** of mixed nerves are typically recorded extracellularly (on the surface) using electrodes, often seen in nerve conduction studies. - This contrasts with intracellular recordings which measure the potential across the cell membrane directly.

Q: Tetanic contraction is due to accumulation of?

Ca 2+ . ***Ca 2+ *** - **Tetanic contraction** results from a rapid succession of muscle stimulations, leading to the sustained elevation of **intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ )** levels. - This persistent high Ca 2+ concentration in the sarcoplasm allows for continuous binding to **troponin**, maintaining the activation of cross-bridge cycling. *Na + * - **Sodium (Na + )** influx is primarily responsible for the **depolarization** of the muscle cell membrane, leading to an **action potential**. - While essential for initiating the contraction, Na + accumulation itself does not directly cause the sustained high Ca 2+ levels characteristic of tetany. *K + * - **Potassium (K + )** efflux is crucial for the **repolarization** of the muscle cell membrane after an action potential. - Accumulation of K + in the extracellular space can contribute to muscle fatigue and reduce excitability, but it does not directly lead to tetanic contraction. *Cl - * - **Chloride (Cl - )** ions play a significant role in stabilizing the resting membrane potential and contributing to muscle **repolarization**, particularly in skeletal muscle. - While important for muscle function, changes in Cl - concentration do not directly cause the sustained Ca 2+ release required for tetanic contraction.

Q: When the tension in a muscle fibre is maximum, its length is called?

Optimum length. ***Optimum length*** - This is the muscle length at which the **maximum number of cross-bridges** can form between actin and myosin filaments. - At this length, the sarcomere allows for the **greatest overlap** of thick and thin filaments without excessive stretching or compression, leading to peak tension generation. *Equilibrium length* - This term usually refers to the **resting length** of a muscle fiber when no external forces are acting upon it. - At equilibrium, the tension generated by the muscle may not necessarily be at its maximum. *Initial length* - This is a general term that refers to the **starting length** of a muscle fiber before it contracts or is stretched. - It does not specifically denote the length at which maximum tension is achieved. *None of the options* - This option is incorrect because **optimum length** accurately describes the muscle length yielding maximum tension.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a location where multi-unit smooth muscle is present?

Gut. ***Gut*** - The gut primarily contains **unitary (single-unit) smooth muscle**, characterized by cells connected by **gap junctions** that allow for synchronized contractions (e.g., peristalsis). - This type of smooth muscle exhibits **spontaneous rhythmic contractions** due to pacemaker cells, and its activity is modulated by neural and hormonal inputs rather than requiring individual innervation of each cell. - Multi-unit smooth muscle is **NOT present** in the gut. *Blood vessels* - Many larger blood vessels (e.g., large arteries) contain **multi-unit smooth muscle**, which allows for **fine, graded control** over vascular tone and blood flow. - Each muscle cell is typically **innervated individually**, enabling precise regulation of contraction strength. *Iris* - The iris contains **multi-unit smooth muscle** (e.g., sphincter pupillae and dilator pupillae muscles) which control pupil size. - These muscles require **individual innervation** to allow for very fine and precise movements in response to light intensity changes. *Ciliary muscle* - The ciliary muscle of the eye contains **multi-unit smooth muscle**, which controls the shape of the lens for accommodation (focusing). - These muscle fibers are **individually innervated** to allow precise control of lens curvature for near and far vision.

Q: What is a key difference between smooth muscle and skeletal muscle physiology?

Troponin is absent in smooth muscle.. ***Troponin is absent in smooth muscle.*** * Smooth muscle contraction is regulated by **calcium-calmodulin complex** and subsequent activation of **myosin light chain kinase (MLCK)**, in contrast to skeletal muscle's reliance on the troponin-tropomyosin system. * **Troponin** is a calcium-binding protein found in skeletal and cardiac muscle, which plays a critical role in regulating muscle contraction by initiating the movement of tropomyosin, thereby exposing myosin-binding sites on actin. *Calcium is required for contraction.* * While calcium is indeed required for contraction in both smooth and skeletal muscle, the **mechanism of its action** differs, making this statement insufficiently discriminative as a *key difference*. * In both muscle types, an increase in intracellular **calcium** initiates the contractile process, but the downstream signaling pathways diverge significantly. *Myosin is essential for contraction.* * **Myosin** is a fundamental motor protein essential for contraction in *all* muscle types, including skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle. * This statement highlights a similarity, not a key difference, as **actin-myosin cross-bridge cycling** is the basis of force generation in all muscle tissues. *Potassium is required for contraction.* * **Potassium ions** are crucial for maintaining the resting membrane potential and for repolarization following an action potential, which is necessary for muscle excitability, but they do not directly trigger muscle contraction. * The influx of calcium (or release from intracellular stores) is the direct trigger for contraction, not potassium.

Q: Burning pain is carried by which type of fibres?

C fibres. ***C fibres*** - These are **unmyelinated** and have a **slow conduction velocity**, responsible for transmitting **slow, dull, burning, or aching pain**. - They also transmit sensations of **temperature** and **itch**. *A alpha fibres* - These are **large, myelinated fibres** with the **fastest conduction velocity**, primarily involved in proprioception (sense of body position) and motor control. - They are not involved in the transmission of burning pain. *A delta fibres* - These are **small, myelinated fibres** that transmit **fast, sharp, localized pain** (the "first pain") and cold sensations. - While they transmit pain, it is characteristically sharp, not burning. *A beta fibres* - These are **large, myelinated fibres** that primarily transmit **touch and pressure sensations**. - They have a fast conduction velocity and are not involved in pain transmission.

Q: What is the fixed length of a myosin filament?

1.6 micrometers. ***1.6 micrometers*** - Myosin filaments, also known as **thick filaments**, are integral components of muscle contraction and have a characteristic fixed length. This length is precisely **1.6 micrometers** in mammalian skeletal muscle. - This consistent length is crucial for the **sliding filament model** of muscle contraction, ensuring proper overlap with actin filaments and efficient force generation. *0.16 nm* - This value is significantly too small; **nanometers (nm)** are typically used for atomic or molecular distances, not for entire protein filaments like myosin. - A myosin filament is composed of hundreds of myosin molecules, making its overall length much larger than a fraction of a nanometer. *16 nm* - While nanometers are used for molecular structures, 16 nm is still too small for a myosin filament. The entire filament is roughly **100 times larger** than this value. - This dimension might be more appropriate for the diameter of a single myosin molecule's head region, but not the entire filament's length. *1.6 mm* - This value is significantly too large; **millimeters (mm)** are visible to the naked eye and represent macroscopic objects. - Muscle filaments are microscopic structures, and a length of 1.6 mm would imply they are many times longer than an entire muscle cell.

Question 1

ATPase activity is present in

Accepted Answer

Myosin

Answer

Actin

Answer

Actin during interaction with myosin

Answer

None of the options

Question 2

What is the primary factor that determines the resting membrane potential in a nerve fiber?

Accepted Answer

Is primarily determined by the equilibrium potential of potassium ions.

Answer

Is equal to the resting potential of cardiac muscle fibers.

Answer

Can be accurately measured using intracellular electrodes.

Answer

Increases with elevated extracellular potassium concentration.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a biphasic action potential of a mixed nerve?

Accepted Answer

Two or more positive peaks

Answer

Refractory period

Answer

All or none phenomenon

Answer

Recorded on surface

Question 4

Tetanic contraction is due to accumulation of?

Accepted Answer

Ca<sup>2+</sup>

Answer

Na+

Answer

K+

Answer

Cl<sup>-</sup>

Question 5

When the tension in a muscle fibre is maximum, its length is called?

Accepted Answer

Optimum length

Answer

None of the options

Answer

Initial length

Answer

Equilibrium length

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a location where multi-unit smooth muscle is present?

Accepted Answer

Gut

Answer

Blood vessels

Answer

Iris

Answer

Ciliary muscle

Question 7

What is a key difference between smooth muscle and skeletal muscle physiology?

Accepted Answer

Troponin is absent in smooth muscle.

Answer

Calcium is required for contraction.

Answer

Myosin is essential for contraction.

Answer

Potassium is required for contraction.

Question 8

Burning pain is carried by which type of fibres?

Accepted Answer

C fibres

Answer

A alpha fibres

Answer

A delta fibres

Answer

A beta fibres

Question 9

The plateau phase of this graph is due to:

Accepted Answer

The calcium channels remaining open longer than the sodium channels

Answer

Increased membrane permeability to potassium ions

Answer

A decrease in calcium diffusion across the membrane

Answer

The movement of fewer sodium ions across the cell membrane

Question 10

What is the fixed length of a myosin filament?

Accepted Answer

1.6 micrometers

Answer

0.16 nm

Answer

16 nm

Answer

1.6 mm

Nerve and Muscle Physiology — MCQs

Nerve and Muscle Physiology — MCQs

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