In: Anatomy and Physiology
Describe the steps of excitation-contraction coupling and the role of calcium in this process.
The physiological process by which an electrical stimulus is converted to a mechanical response is called as excitation-contraction coupling.The following are the steps of excitation-contraction coupling are:
Role of Calcium:
Basically, at first the Calcium concentration increases transiently in the myoplasm. This results in trigerring the mechanochemical reaction which is contraction.This increase is termed as Ca transient. The release takes place from sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Next, the Calcium acts as a very effective agonist which opens the Calcium channels of SR.