MUSCLE CONTRACTION Meaning and
Definition
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Muscle contraction refers to the process in which muscle fibers within skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles become shorter and generate tension or force. It occurs when signals from the nervous system result in the sliding of thin filaments of actin over thick filaments of myosin within muscle cells. This sliding movement causes the muscle fibers to shorten and exert a pulling force on the bones or other structures to which they are attached.
Muscle contractions can be classified into two main types: isotonic and isometric contractions. Isotonic contractions involve the muscle changing in length to move and/or lift objects, while isometric contractions involve the muscle producing tension without motion. Isotonic contractions can be further categorized as concentric, which involves the muscle shortening as it generates force to move a resistance, or eccentric, which involves the muscle lengthening as it generates force to resist a resistance.
The process of muscle contraction is regulated by the interaction of various proteins, such as actin, myosin, troponin, and tropomyosin, which are organized within muscle fibers. Nerve impulses trigger the release of calcium ions, which bind to troponin and enable myosin to attach to actin, leading to the formation of cross-bridges. The cross-bridges undergo cycles of attachment, pivoting, and detachment, resulting in the sliding of the actin and myosin filaments and the generation of force.
Muscle contraction plays a crucial role in a wide range of bodily functions, including movement, posture control, organ function, and heat production.
Common Misspellings for MUSCLE CONTRACTION
- nuscle contraction
- kuscle contraction
- juscle contraction
- myscle contraction
- mhscle contraction
- mjscle contraction
- miscle contraction
- m8scle contraction
- m7scle contraction
- muacle contraction
- muzcle contraction
- muxcle contraction
- mudcle contraction
- muecle contraction
- muwcle contraction
- musxle contraction
- musvle contraction
- musfle contraction
- musdle contraction
- muscke contraction
Etymology of MUSCLE CONTRACTION
The word "muscle contraction" has its origins in Latin and Greek.
The term "muscle" comes from the Latin word "musculus", which means "little mouse". This description is believed to originate from the resemblance that certain muscles have to mice running under the skin.
The word "contraction" comes from the Latin word "contrahere", which is a combination of "con-" meaning "together" and "trahere" meaning "to draw". Therefore, "contrahere" means "to draw together". This term was used to describe the shortening and tightening of a muscle.
Thus, the term "muscle contraction" refers to the process of a muscle shortening and tightening.
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