MYOTATIC CONTRACTION Meaning and
Definition
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Myotatic contraction refers to a physiological process that occurs during muscle contraction and involves the reflexive response of the muscle to its own stretch. Also known as the stretch reflex, it is a fundamental mechanism that helps to regulate muscle tension and maintain body posture.
When a muscle is stretched, specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles within the muscle detect the change in length. These muscle spindles are sensitive to stretch and are connected to motor neurons in the spinal cord. Upon detecting the stretch, the muscle spindle sends a signal to the spinal cord, which activates the motor neurons.
The motor neurons then transmit an electrical signal back to the muscle fibers, causing them to contract. This reflexive contraction is the myotatic contraction. It occurs rapidly and helps to protect the muscle from excessive stretch and damage by reflexively limiting the elongation of the muscle.
Myotatic contractions are important for various motor activities like maintaining balance and coordination. They provide an automatic response that helps to prevent falls or sudden changes in body position. They also facilitate quick and precise movements by ensuring the muscle is ready for action when needed.
Overall, myotatic contraction is a vital component of the body's neuromuscular system, enabling automatic and rapid muscle responses to changes in muscle length. It serves to protect the muscle and aids in maintaining proper posture, stability, and coordinated movement.
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• (1) Reflex c. of a muscle induced by its passive stretching; (2) tendon reflex.
• Contraction of a muscle following a sudden stretching, as in the foot- or ankle-clonus.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for MYOTATIC CONTRACTION
- nyotatic contraction
- kyotatic contraction
- jyotatic contraction
- mtotatic contraction
- mgotatic contraction
- mhotatic contraction
- muotatic contraction
- m7otatic contraction
- m6otatic contraction
- myitatic contraction
- myktatic contraction
- myltatic contraction
- myptatic contraction
- my0tatic contraction
- my9tatic contraction
- myoratic contraction
- myofatic contraction
- myogatic contraction
- myoyatic contraction
- myo6atic contraction
Etymology of MYOTATIC CONTRACTION
The word "myotatic" is derived from the combination of two Greek roots: "myo" and "tatic".
1. "Myo" (from Greek "mys") refers to the muscles. This root is commonly used in other terms related to muscles, such as "myology" (the study of muscles) and "myopathy" (a muscle disease).
2. "Tatic" (from Greek "taktikos") means pertaining to order or arrangement. This root is often used in scientific and technical terms to indicate a specific type of action or movement.
Therefore, "myotatic" can be understood as "pertaining to muscle movement or action".
The word "contraction" comes from the Latin word "contrahere", meaning "to draw together" or "shorten".
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