Skeletal Muscle:  1-40 cm long fibres, 10- 60 µm thick, according to myoglobin content there are:

Red fibres: lots of myoglobin, many mitochondriam slow twitching - tire slowly

White fibres:  less myoglobin,  less mitochondria, fast twitching - tire quickly

Intermediate fibres:

mixture of 2 above

Most muscles have all three - in varying ratios

Structure of skeletal muscle:

Light Microscopy:  Many nuclei - 35/mm,  Nuclei are oval - situated peripheral,  Dark and light bands

Electron Microscopy: Two types of myofilaments

Actin

- 5,6 nm

 3 components:

 -actin monomers,  

 -tropomyosin - 7 actin molecules long

- troponin

 actin monomers form 2 threats that spiral

- tropomyosin - lie in the groove of the spiral

- troponin - attach every 40 nm

- one end attach to the Z line

- other end goes to the middle of the sarcomere

- Z line consists of á actinin

Myosin:

- 15 nm

- 1,6 µm long

- The molecule has a head and a tail

- tails are parallel

- heads project in a spiral

- in the middle is a thickening

- thin threats bind the myosin at thickening (M line)

Contraction:

A - band stays the same, I - band, H - bands become narrower

Myosin heads ratchet on the actin molecule

Sarcolemma: 9 nm thick,  invaginate to form T-tubule,

 myofibrils - attach to the sarcolemma

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum:

specialized smooth EPR,  Consists of T-tubules, terminal sisternae and sarcotubules

It is speculated that there are gap junctions between the T-tubule and terminal sisterna

An impulse is carried into the fiber by the T-tubule from where it goes to the rest of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Connective tissue coverings of the muscle

Endomycium around fibres, perimycium around bundles and epimycium around the whole muscle

Blood vessels and nerves in CT

CT goes over into tendon or aponeurosis which attaches to the periosteum

Nerves:

The axon of a motor neuron branches and ends in motor end plates on the fiber

Specialized striated fibres called spindles (stretch receptors) form sensory receptors in muscles telling the brain how far the muscle has stretched

• This is the second cranial nerve (CN II) and is the nerve of sight.

Initially, four clefts exist; however, only one gives rise to a definite structure in adults.

The Palate

• The palate forms the arched roof of the mouth and the floor of the nasal cavities.
• The palate consists of two regions: the anterior 2/3 or bony part, called the hard palate, and the mobile posterior 1/3 or fibromuscular part, known as the soft palate.

The Hard Palate

• The anterior bony part of the palate is formed by the palatine process of the maxillae and the horizontal plates of the palatine bones.

• Anteriorly and laterally, the hard palate is bounded by the alveolar processes and the gingivae.
• Posteriorly, the hard palate is continuous with the soft palate.

• The incisive foramen is the mouth of the incisive canal.
• This foramen is located posterior to the maxillary central incisor teeth.
• This foramen is the common opening for the right and left incisive canals.
• The incisive canal and foramen transmit the nasopalatine nerve and the terminal branches of the sphenopalatine artery.

• Medial to the third molar tooth, the greater palatine foramen pierces the lateral border of the bony palate.
• The greater palatine vessels and nerve emerge from this foramen and run anteriorly into two grooves on the palate.

• The lesser palatine foramen transmits the lesser palatine nerve and vessels.
• This runs to the soft palate and adjacent structures.

3 basic functions
o    protection of respiratory tract during swallowing food/air pathways cross.
    epiglottis provides protection
o    control intra-thoracic pressure (in coughing) -    close off airway to build pressure then rapidly open to release stuff
o    production of sound (in speaking, singing, laughing)

Important structures

o    hyoid bone
o    thyroid cartilage
o    arytenoids cartilage: vocal and muscle process
    sits on slope on posterior side of cricoid - spin and slide
o    cricoid cartilage: signet ring
o    thyroepiglottic ligament

Membranes and ligaments

o    membrane: general; ligament: thickening of membrane
o    folds: free edges of membranes or ligaments
o    names: tell you where located

Important membranes:
    quandrangular/vestibular membrane—from epiglottis to arytenoids
•    inferior edge: false vocal fold
    thyrohyoid membrane
    conus elasticus = cricothyroid = cricovocal
•    superior/medial edge = vocal fold
•    vocal ligaments: true folds, top of cricothyroid membrane

-> This is a wedge-shaped bone (G. sphen, wedge) is located anteriorly to the temporal bones.
-> It is a key bone in the cranium because it articulates with eight bones (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, vomer, zygomatic, palatine, and ethmoid).
-> It main parts are the body and the greater and lesser wings, which spread laterally from the body.
-> The superior surface of its body is shaped like a Turkish saddle (L. sella, a saddle); hence its name sella turcica.
-> It forms the hypophyseal fossa which contains the hypophysis cerebri or pituitary gland.
-> The sella turcica is bounded posteriorly by the dorsum sellae, a square plate of bone that projects superiorly and has a posterior clinoid process on each side.
-> Inside the body of the sphenoid bone, there are right and left sphenoid sinuses. The floor of the sella turcica forms the roof of these paranasal sinuses.
-> Studies of the sella turcica and hypophyseal fossa in radiographs or by other imaging techniques are important because they may reflect pathological changes such as a pituitary tumour or an aneurysm of the internal carotid artery. Decalcification of the dorsum sellae is one of the signs of a generalised increase in intracranial pressure.