key term - Depolarize

Definition

In the context of skeletal muscle, depolarization is the process where the normally negative interior of a muscle cell becomes less negative or positive due to the influx of sodium ions. This electrical change is crucial for muscle contraction.

Related terms

Action Potential:

A rapid rise and subsequent fall in voltage or membrane potential across a cellular membrane that is characteristic of nerve and muscle cells.

Sodium:

Potassium Pump - A cellular mechanism that uses ATP to move sodium out of cells and potassium into cells against their concentration gradients, helping maintain the resting potential across the cell membrane.

Muscle Contraction:

The process initiated by depolarization where muscle fibers generate tension through the action of actin and myosin cross-bridge cycling, resulting in shortening and generating force.