Physiology 3120 Study Guide - Endoplasmic Reticulum, T-Tubule, Axon Terminal

• School: Western University
• Department: Physiology
• Course: Physiology 3120
• Professor: Anita Woods

Document Summary

Should know the structure from the whole muscle down to the myofilaments, as well as the structures within the muscle cell, the transverse tubule, sarcoplasmic reticulum and muscle cell membrane (sarcolemma) and how they function. In the last module you learned about how neurons fire action potentials and how they travel down the axon to the axon terminal. The neuromuscular junction is where neuron meets muscle (hence the name). It is at this region that the action potentials in the axon are transferred to the muscle cells: ca++ voltage gated (v. g. ) Once the action potential has reached the axon terminal, there are ca++ v. g. channels located in the terminals which open. Because ca++ is higher on the outside of the cell, ca++ flows into the cell (axon terminal). When ca++ flows into the axon terminal, it causes synaptic vesicles (containing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ach)) to move and fuse with the cell membrane: the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and ligand/chemical ion channels.