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Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
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Calcium Regulation of Muscle Contraction





- Discussion:
    - muscle contraction is regulated by calcium ions, which will change
          thin filament into an activated state by binding to troponin;
          - release of calcium actives the myosin-ATP complex, which motors the
                sliding action between actin and myosin;
    - in absence of calcium, troponin & tropomyosin interfere w/ formation of
          active complexes;
    - in absence of ATP, myosin and actin form rigor complexes whether or not
          calcium is present;
          - after death, there is a gradual decrease in ATP concentration, so
              less ATP is available to disassociate the myosin head in a
              rigor complex from the actin molecule;




Original Text by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD.