Answer:
a. the number of motor units that are activated.
b. the frequency of motor neuron action potentials in each motor unit.
Explanation:
When the need arise to increase the rate of contraction of skeletal muscles, input signals are sent to the brain. Output signal from the brain arrive as a simultaneous increase of active motor units within the muscles.This is represented as increase in Acetycholine neurotransmitters secretions diffusion across the synapse, more Ligand gated ion channels opening, more depolarisation, and action potentials propagation and generation. As a results there is rapid increase in Excitatory Post Synaptic Potential( EPSP) and increase in degree of Skeletal muscle contraction.
An increase in amount of depolarization, and therefore action potential generated, increases the frequencies of action potential at the receptors(receptor potential).This results in the degree of skeletal muscle contraction, because the increased action potential frequency is above the threshold levels to elicits responses in the muscle cells.