Exercise 2: Skeletal Muscle Physiology: Activity 7: Isotonic Contractions and the Load-Velocity Relationship Lab Report

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 60% by answering 3 out of 5 questions correctly.
1. During an isotonic concentric contraction, the
You correctly answered: b. force generated by the muscle is greater than the weight of the attached load.
2. During an isotonic concentric contraction
You correctly answered: b. the latent period increases with heavier loads.
3. During the latent period for an isotonic concentric contraction
Your answer : d. calcium remains stored inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Correct answer: c. cross bridges cycle and, when muscle tension exceeds the load, muscle shortening occurs.
4. Muscle shortening velocity
Your answer : d. is constant regardless of the load.
Correct answer: a. decreases with heavier loads.
5. An isotonic contraction of a muscle is one in which
You correctly answered: a. the length of the muscle changes.

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question: As the load on the muscle increases, what will happen to the latent period, the shortening velocity, the
distance that the weight moves, and the contraction duration?
Your answer : b. The latent period will increase, the shortening velocity will decrease, the distance will decrease, and the
contraction duration will decrease.
Stop & Think Questions:
What kind of contraction did you observe when you attached the 2.0 gram weight to the skeletal muscle and stimulated a
contraction?
You correctly answered: c. isometric
Experiment Data:
Voltage

Length

Weight

8.5
8.5
8.5
8.5

75
75
75
75

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0

Velocity
(mm/msec)
0.100
0.057
0.022
0.000

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Twitch Duration
(msec)
78.00
49.00
30.00
0.00

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Distance Lifted
(mm)
4.0
2.0
0.5
0.0

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Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 50% by answering 3 out of 6 questions correctly.
1. Which of the weights allowed the fastest muscle shortening velocity?
You correctly answered: a. 0.5-g weight
2. Which of the weights induced the longest latent period of the muscle contraction?
Your answer: d. 2.0-g weight
Correct answer: c. 1.5-g weight
3. Which weight did the muscle contraction move the greatest distance?
You correctly answered: a. 0.5-g weight
4. Which of the weights allowed the longest duration of muscle contraction?
Your answer: d. 2.0-g weight
Correct answer: a. 0.5-g weight
5. An isotonic contraction of a muscle is one in which
You correctly answered: a. the length of the muscle changes.
6. When lifting a heavy load
Your answer: c. the load will be lifted for a longer duration than lighter loads.
Correct answer: d. the muscle shortening velocity is decreased in comparison with lighter loads.

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Review Sheet Results

1. If you were using your bicep muscles to curl a 7-kg dumbbell, when would your muscles be contracting isotonically?
You did not answer this question.
2. Explain why the latent period became longer as the load became heavier in the experiment. How well did the results
compare with your prediction?
You did not answer this question.
3. Explain why the shortening velocity became slower as the load became heavier in this experiment. How well did the
results compare with your prediction?
You did not answer this question.
4. Describe how the shortening distance changed as the load became heavier in this experiment. How well did the results
compare with your prediction?
You did not answer this question.
5. Explain why it would take you longer to perform 10 repetitions lifting a 10-kg weight than it would to perform the same
number of repetitions with a 5-kg weight.
You did not answer this question.
6. Describe what would happen in the following experiment: A 2.5-g weight is attached to the end of the isolated whole
skeletal muscle used in these experiments. Simultaneously, the muscle is maximally stimulated by 8.5 volts and the platform
supporting the weight is removed. Will the muscle generate force? Will the muscle change length? What is the name for this
type of contraction?
You did not answer this question.

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