Chapter 10.3, Problem 18LO

Summary Introduction

To explain: The relationship of skeletal muscle elasticity and muscle relaxation.

Concept introduction: During skeletal muscle contraction, a motor neuron stimulates the skeletal muscle fibers. The stimulation of skeletal muscle fibers ultimately causes the interaction between the myofilaments within the skeletal muscle fibers to produce a surface tension between the muscles. The initial step in the relaxation of skeletal muscle is the termination of the nerve signals propagated along the motor neuron. When the signal from the nerve stops, then there is no additional release of acetylcholine.