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  2. Muscle contraction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction

    The mechanisms of contraction in these muscle tissues are similar to those in skeletal muscle tissues. Muscle contraction can also be described in terms of two variables: length and tension. [ 1 ] In natural movements that underlie locomotor activity , muscle contractions are multifaceted as they are able to produce changes in length and ...

  3. Sliding filament theory - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_filament_theory

    The sliding filament theory explains the mechanism of muscle contraction based on muscle proteins that slide past each other to generate movement. [1] According to the sliding filament theory, the myosin ( thick filaments ) of muscle fibers slide past the actin ( thin filaments ) during muscle contraction, while the two groups of filaments ...

  4. Neuromuscular junction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromuscular_junction

    The endplate potential is thus responsible for setting up an action potential in the muscle fiber which triggers muscle contraction. The transmission from nerve to muscle is so rapid because each quantum of acetylcholine reaches the endplate in millimolar concentrations, high enough to combine with a receptor with a low affinity, which then ...

  5. Ballistic movement - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_movement

    Ballistic movements are often powered through elastic energy storage and subsequent recovery mechanisms. The power required to produce the extremely rapid velocities of ballistic movements is made possible through muscle work being stored in elastic elements (such as tendons, aponeuroses, or even muscle).

  6. Reciprocal inhibition - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocal_inhibition

    Sherrington, one of the founding figures in neurophysiology, observed that when the central nervous system signals an agonist muscle to contract, inhibitory signals are sent to the antagonist muscle, encouraging it to relax and reduce resistance. This mechanism, known as reciprocal inhibition, is essential for efficient movement and helps ...

  7. Motor unit - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_unit

    To prevent complete muscle fatigue, motor units are generally not all simultaneously active, but instead some motor units rest while others are active, which allows for longer muscle contractions. The nervous system uses recruitment as a mechanism to efficiently utilize a skeletal muscle. [8]

  8. Muscular system - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_system

    An impulse from a nerve cell causes calcium release and brings about a single, short muscle contraction called a muscle twitch. If there is a problem at the neuromuscular junction, a very prolonged contraction may occur, such as the muscle contractions that result from tetanus. Also, a loss of function at the junction can produce paralysis. [5]

  9. Myosin light-chain kinase - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosin_light-chain_kinase

    The phosphorylation of MLC will enable the myosin crossbridge to bind to the actin filament and allow contraction to begin (through the crossbridge cycle). Since smooth muscle does not contain a troponin complex, as striated muscle does, this mechanism is the main pathway for regulating smooth muscle contraction. Reducing intracellular calcium ...