Overheated: a Case Study on Muscle Physiology

Overheated: A Case Study on Muscle Physiology

1. Skeletal tissue contributes to body temperature through the skeletal muscles contracting, which in turn generates heat (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 280). For example, when the body is cold, typically one will begin to shiver, which is the main way the body will create heat.

2. During malignant hyperthermia, there is an increased amount of calcium released into the sarcoplasm of skeletal muscle cells.

a. The organelle that is in charge of storing calcium in the muscle cells is the sarcoplasmic reticulum (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 287).

b. The events that occur before the calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum include, the action potential arriving at the axon terminal at the neuromuscular junction, and Ach is released, which then binds to receptors on sarcolemma; next, the ion permeability of the sarcolemma changes, the local change in membrane voltage (depolarization) occurs, and then the local depolarization ignites the action potential in the sarcolemma (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 289).

3. Calcium functions to cause contractions of the skeletal muscle cells through, the action potential propagating the sarcolemma and down the T tubules, calcium ions being released, the calcium ions binding to troponin and removes the blocking agent of tropomyosin, which then allows muscle contraction to begin (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 293).

4. The metabolic pathways that function to synthesize ATP for skeletal muscle contraction include, direct phosphorylation of ADP by creatine phosphate, anaerobic glycolysis, which converts glucose to lactic acid, and aerobic respiration (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 302). The pathway that produces carbon dioxide as a by-product is aerobic cellular respiration (Marieb & Hoehn, 2015, p. 302).

5. Malignant hyperthermia causes a hypermetabolic state in skeletal muscle, which is triggered by high demands for ATP during uncontrolled muscle...