Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Focal Macropatch Recordings of Synaptic Currents from the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
07:01

Focal Macropatch Recordings of Synaptic Currents from the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: September 25, 2017

Subunit composition of the spontaneous miniature end-plate currents at the mouse neuromuscular junction

C Erxleben1, M E Kriebel

  • 1State University of New York Health Science Center, Department of Physiology, Syracuse 13210.

The Journal of Physiology
|June 1, 1988
PubMed

More Related Videos

Levator Auris Longus Preparation for Examination of Mammalian Neuromuscular Transmission Under Voltage Clamp Conditions10:45

Levator Auris Longus Preparation for Examination of Mammalian Neuromuscular Transmission Under Voltage Clamp Conditions

Published on: May 5, 2018

Generation of Human Motor Units with Functional Neuromuscular Junctions in Microfluidic Devices10:48

Generation of Human Motor Units with Functional Neuromuscular Junctions in Microfluidic Devices

Published on: September 7, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Neuromuscular Junction And Blockade01:29

Neuromuscular Junction And Blockade

The site of chemical communication between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber is called the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The end of the motor neuron at the NMJ divides into a cluster of synaptic end bulbs. The cytoplasm of these bulbs consists of synaptic vesicles enclosing acetylcholine molecules, the principal neurotransmitter released at the NMJ. The region opposite the synaptic bulb that ends in the muscle fiber is called the motor end plate, which has acetylcholine receptors. Within the...
The Neuromuscular Junction01:19

The Neuromuscular Junction

The nervous system consists of complex motor neuron circuits, including upper motor neurons originating from the cerebral cortex and lower motor neurons starting in the spinal cord, coordinating both voluntary and involuntary movements. Among these, somatic motor neurons activate skeletal muscles and are classified into alpha, beta, and gamma types. Alpha neurons are vital for voluntary movement coordination, while gamma neurons adjust muscle spindle sensitivity, and the function of beta...
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles01:24

Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles

Every cell in the body maintains a membrane potential due to an uneven distribution of positive and negative charges across its plasma membrane. The membrane potential is measured in millivolts and quantifies the difference in charge across the membrane.
Like neurons, muscle cells are also regarded as excitable due to their capacity to change in response to stimuli, primarily due to voltage-gated ion channels embedded in their plasma membranes, which get activated by alterations in the cell's...
Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles01:29

Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles

The period of muscle contraction primarily influences the duration of stimulation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the presence of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the availability of energy or ATP to support contractions.
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it depolarizes the membrane and opens voltage-gated sodium channels. Sodium ions enter the cell, further depolarizing the presynaptic membrane. This depolarization causes voltage-gated calcium channels to open.
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...