1.

Based on the information from the notes describe why calcium is so important
in muscle contraction?  (2pts)

To expose the actives sites during muscle contraction you need calcium to
move the tropomyosin (which changes the shape of the tropomyosin), which allows
people to move there muscles. When you stop, calcium stops going to the
tropomyosin and allows the active sights to be covered, and your muscles relax. When
we contract and relax our muscles, raid change of the amount of calcium change
inside of our bodies. If you have too little or too much calcium this can cause muscle
symptoms, and problems. Calcium is so important in the movement of our muscles
and how they work correctly.

2. In your own words, try to explain the entire process of muscle contraction as if
you were trying to explain it to the players on your team.  (4pts)

What happens is that you decide you want to move your muscles. Since these
are skeletal muscles, you have to think about using them. For these muscles to move,
myosin and actin need to be able to bind. Myosin and actin are pretty famous, so they
have bodyguards in there way, and can’t be together. Actin’s bodyguards are the
protein troponin and tropomyosin. Troponin really likes calcium and binds with the
calcium which pulls tropomyosin open. The tropomyosin changes shape and opens the
active sights that contain actin, but myosin isn’t perfect to bind with actin just yet.
Myosin binds with ATP, because she wants to look pretty. Like a girl putting on
makeup. Myosin then changes the ATP into ADP and phosphate. This causes myosin
to change shape, and it moves into an extended position. This makes the myosin ready
to bind with actin, and the myosin releases all of it’s stored energy. After the myosin
releases all of its energy it changes shape. The myosin pulls on the actin strand, which
shrinks the muscle. Then now that the myosin has used up all of the energy that has
from the ATP, it unbinds from the ADP and phosphorus. That then changed the shape
of the myosin, and a new fresh ATP binds in its place. That binding causes another
shape change, and the myosin releases from the actin. The myosin then breaks down
it’s new ATP molecule to ADP and phosphate. Which moves it into the extended
position again to get ready to bind with the actin strand again. Meanwhile, the calcium
pumps are working hard to restock the calcium, and the calcium unbinds with the
troponin. This causes the shape change of the tropomyosin. This process continues to
allow us to move our muscles.