myofibril

Examples of myofibril in the following topics:

• Skeletal Muscle Fibers

  • Each myocyte can contain many thousands of myofibrils.
  • Each myofibril is surrounded by the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which is closely associated with the transverse tubules.
  • Myofibrils are composed of long myofilaments of actin, myosin, and other associated proteins.
  • Myofibrils are composed of smaller structures called myofilaments.
  • A muscle fiber is composed of many myofibrils, packaged into orderly units.

• Structure and Function of the Muscular System

  • Muscle cells, or myocytes, contain myofibrils comprised of actin and myosin myofilaments which slide past each other producing tension that changes the shape of the myocyte.
  • Voluntary refers to whether the muscle is under conscious control, while striation refers to the presence of visible banding within myocytes caused by the organization of myofibrils to produce constant tension.

• Sliding Filament Model of Contraction

  • However, when multiplied by the number of sarcomeres in a myofibril, myofibrils in a myocyte and myocytes in a muscle, the amount of force and movement generated is significant.