Animation from: http://3dotstudio.com/zz.html

This activity was created  and shared by Mark Little Broomfield High School Broomfield CO

The Process of Acting out the Muscle Contraction of a Muscle Fiber

(Adapted from the February The American Biology Teacher, Volume 65, No. 2 How-to-do-it article Acting Out Muscle Contraction by Margaret Hudson)

The classroom is the inside of the muscle
Students should were badges or signs identifying them in the assigned role.

Roles:

Acetylcholine (1 student)

This person goes outside the room and at the start of the contraction, knocks loudly on the door.  This will symbolize the release of the neurotransmitter from the synaptic vesicles in the distal end of the axon

Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel (1 person)

This person opens the door when the Acetylcholine person knocks on the door

Sodium ions:  (3-6 people)

These students rush in when the door opens—symbolizing the depolarization of the sarcolemma  (Carry signs with sodium or Na)

Action Potential (1 person)

This person rushes in symbolizing the depolarization of the motor end plate surface.

Has a sign with +/- on the sign—flips it over showing depolarization.

Sarcolemma:  (1 student)

The action potential passes by this student symbolizing the transmission of the action potential.  Turning +/- signs

T tubule (2-4 students)

The action potential passes between the students (a channel) down to the SR—Sarcoplasmic Reticulum.  Turning +/- signs

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum SR (4-6 students)

These students store the calcium ions

Calcium Ions (3-4 students)

These ions move within the SR and when they are released through the voltaged-gated calcium channels they go to actin and move the regulatory proteins troponin and tropomyosin.  Hold Ca Signs

Actin  (4-5 students)

These students form a line side by side and reach out with the left hand on to the right shoulder.  The right arm is free to interact with the myosin.  The have a scarf or a piece of fabric attached to the sign.  The calcium ions job is to move the scarf out of the way symbolizing the movement of the regulatory proteins. 

The sign should be in the right side if possible

The right hands are exposed to be pulled on by the myosin.

Movement—left to right step

Myosin

These people form a line so that one is in front with the others behind.  The right hand is on the shoulder of the person in front of them.  They have to make sure they do not interact until the scarf is pulled out of the way. 

ATP Spitting

Class—each time the actin myosin cycle of binding and releasing takes place—I tell the rest of the class to clap. 

The clapping symbolizes the energy used to clap.