HOW IT WORKS
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1.-Open channels allow an influx of sodium ions into the cytoplasm of the muscle fiber.
2.-The sodium influx also sends a message within the muscle fiber to trigger the release of stored calcium ions.
3.-The calcium ions diffuse into the muscle fiber.
4.-The relationship between the chains of proteins within the muscle cells changes, leading to the contraction.
When the stimulation of the motor neuron providing the impulse to the muscle fibers stops, the chemical reaction that causes the rearrangement of the muscle fibers' proteins is stopped. This reverses the chemical processes in the muscle fibers and the muscle relaxes5.
5 Visible Body. (n.d.). Muscle Contractions | Learn Muscular Anatomy. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://www.visiblebody.com/learn/muscular/muscle-contractions