Anaesthesia Fundamentals | Physiology | Action Potential, NMJ and Skeletal Muscle Contraction

Action Potential, NMJ and Skeletal Muscle Contraction
Session overview
Description
This session describes the activation process of a skeletal muscle motor unit.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe how the action potential in the motor neurone triggers release of acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft
• Define the structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
• Explain the mechanism by which acetylcholine receptor activation leads to post-synaptic activation
• Describe how the effects of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft are ended
• Explain how excitation of the post-synaptic membrane leads to contraction of the skeletal muscle architecture

This session describes the activation process of a skeletal muscle motor unit, starting as the action potential reaches the motor endplate.

It then describes the process of acetylcholine (ACh) release, activation of the receptor and how this leads to post-synaptic activation leading to the process of contraction.

Finally, the session examines how ACh is cleared from the synaptic cleft.

This subject is a common topic in basic science examinations.