Sliding Filament Mechanism Worksheet

1.  Describe the thick and thin filaments and how they are arranged within a sarcomere during relaxation.

2.  During relaxation are thick and thin filaments connected?

3.  What effect does the release of Ca⁺⁺ ions into the sarcoplasm have on the arrangement of the thin filament? 

4.  Where does ATP attach during contraction? (be specific)

5.  What happens to this molecule in Question 4 when ATP is hydrolyzed into ADP and P_i?

6.  What happens during cross-bridge attachment?

7.  What happens when myosin releases ADP and P_i?  What is this step called?

8.  What happens during cross-bridge detachment?  What causes it?

9.  What is the recovery stroke?

10.  What is the total effect of the steps described above?

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Last revised: Wednesday, 11 April 2007