Chapter 10, Problem 7WYL

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The function of calcium ions in skeletal muscle contraction.

Introduction:

Skeletal muscles are categorized as voluntary muscles because they are regulated by the somatic (voluntary) nervous system. A contracting skeletal muscle maintains tension on the attachment site of the muscle to cause movement. A skeletal muscle fiber usually shortens when all of its sarcomeres shorten in length during contraction. The thick and thin filaments in sarcomeres interact to cause sarcomere shortening that results in muscle contraction.