What are Muscle Repair?

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1. List 3 major muscle pairs. What are muscle pairs?

Muscles commonly occur in groups of two, called muscle pairs. As one muscle in the pair contracts the other one relaxes, creating movement. The human body is made up of many different muscle pairs, though some are more important than others. Examples of three major muscle pairs are the biceps and triceps for bending and straightening the elbow, the quadriceps and hamstrings for bending and straightening of the knee, as well as the deltoids and lattisimus dorsi for lifting the arm and lowering the arm.

2. Describe the structure of skeletal muscles. What do muscle fibers consist of?

A skeletal muscle is a type of striated muscle connected to the skeleton. There purpose is to create movement by applying force to bones and joints. Skeletal muscles are made up of many smaller units called muscle fascicles, and those are made up of even smaller units called muscle fibres. A muscle fibre is a single cell that contracts when stimulated. It is made up of bundles of myofibrils, thick and thin filaments arranged in sacromeres.
Skeletal muscles vary considerably in size, shape and the arrangement of these muscle fibres.

3. Describe the sliding filament theory of muscle contraction. How is movement created?

The sliding filament theory of muscle contraction is a theory that describes how muscles contract to produce force. In muscles there are both thick and thin muscle filaments within the sacromere. The thin filament slides over the thick filament to create tension in the muscle, shortening the sacromere’s length.

4. Define types (fast twitch/slow twitch) of muscle fibres and list their characteristics. Which muscle fiber type has a better ability to use oxygen?

Muscle fibres can be categorized into two different types, fast twitch and slow twitch. On average we have about 50% slow twitch and 50% fast twitch fibres in most muscles used for movement though the percentage of each type of muscle fibre depends on a variety of factors such as muscle function, training and genetics. Slow twitch fibres are most efficient at using oxygen to generate fuel for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long time. As a result, this fibre type is best suited for endurance activities such as marathons or long distance cycling. In contrast, fast twitch fibres are best suited for generating short bursts of strength or speed, but fatigue more quickly.

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