Myofibril
Myofibril
Myofibril (pronounced: my-o-fy-bril) is a basic rod-like unit of a muscle cell. Muscles are composed of tubular cells called myocytes, known as muscle fibers in striated muscle, and these cells in turn contain many chains of myofibrils. They are created from two types of filaments: thick filaments composed of the protein myosin and thin filaments composed of the protein actin.
Etymology
The term "myofibril" is derived from the Greek words "myo", meaning muscle, and "fibril", meaning a small or slender fiber.
Structure
Myofibrils are cylindrical structures that run the length of a muscle fiber. They are composed of repeating sections, each of which is known as a sarcomere. The sarcomere is the basic functional unit of the muscle fiber and is responsible for the muscle's ability to contract and generate force.
Function
The primary function of myofibrils is to perform muscle contraction via the sliding filament model. This process involves the interaction of the myosin and actin filaments within the sarcomere, the basic unit of contraction in a myofibril.
Related Terms
- Actin: A protein that forms the thin filament in a sarcomere and works in conjunction with myosin to produce muscle contraction.
- Myosin: A protein that forms the thick filament in a sarcomere and works in conjunction with actin to produce muscle contraction.
- Sarcomere: The basic contractile unit of muscle fiber.
- Muscle Contraction: The process by which muscle fibers generate force and shorten in length.
- Sliding Filament Model: The process that describes how a muscle fiber contracts and generates force.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Myofibril
- Wikipedia's article - Myofibril
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