Skeletal muscle cells or fibers generally extend from one tendon to the other tendon that attaches the

muscle to
the bones.
Skeletal muscle is classified as voluntary muscle since its
contraction is mandated by the central nervous system—we
can contract muscles at will. Thus, the innervation of skeletal
muscle is essential for activation of contraction. Each fiber is
activated by one motor neuron, whereas one motor neuron
can innervate a number of muscle fibers forming a motor
unit. When one motor neuron is activated, all of the fibers
innervated by that motor neuron will contract. The motor
neurons from the spinal cord or brainstem, in response to
action potentials traveling down the axon toward the skeletal
muscle cell, release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine as
shown in Figure 9–3 at the neuromuscular junction. The amount of acetylcholine released is proportional to
the
frequency of action potentials.
Acetylcholine diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to
a cholinergic receptor—the nicotinic receptor—on the muscle cell membrane (SL). The part of the muscle SL
that is associated with the neuromuscular junction is called the motor
end plate. Within the cleft is the enzyme acetylcholine
esterase that can hydrolyze unbound acetylcholine and thereby
limit the activation of the muscle cell membrane nicotinic
receptors. This receptor is a channel that allows sodium and
potassium flux. The predominant ion movement is sodium
entering the muscle cell causing partial depolarization of the
cell membrane in the synaptic cleft— an end plate potential
(see Chapter 7). Since motor neurons cause only depolarization of the postsynaptic membrane and not
necessarily an
action potential, the change is similar to an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) occurring in neurons.