Biomechanics of Human Skeletal Muscle

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the biomechanics of human skeletal muscle, focusing on muscle properties, structure, components, and functionalities.

Extensibility

The ability of a muscle to be stretched.

Elasticity

The ability of a muscle to return to its original shape after being stretched.

Contractility

The capacity of a muscle to shorten actively.

Adaptability

The capacity of muscles to adapt to changes in environment or workload.

Contractile Component

The part of the muscle responsible for producing force.

Non-contractile Component

The part of the muscle that does not produce force but supports the muscle structure.

Parallel Elastic Component (PEC)

The elastic elements of a muscle that contribute to passive elasticity.

Series Elastic Component (SEC)

The elastic elements in muscle fibers and tendons that contribute to force production.

Hyperplasia

An increase in the number of muscle fibers.

Hypertrophy

An increase in the size of muscle fibers.

Motor Unit

A single alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates.

Innervation Ratio

The ratio of muscle fibers innervated by a single motor neuron.

Agonist

A muscle that is responsible for a particular movement.

Antagonist

A muscle that opposes the action of an agonist.

Synergists

Muscles that assist the action of agonists.

Autogenic Inhibition

A protective reflex that inhibits muscle contraction when the tension is too high.

Reciprocal Inhibition

The inhibition of the antagonist muscle during contraction of the agonist.

Electromyography (EMG)

A technique used to assess the electrical activity of muscles.

Force-Velocity Relationship

The relationship between the speed of muscle contraction and the force it generates.

Length-Tension Relationship

The relationship between the length of a muscle and its ability to generate force.

Muscle Endurance

The ability of a muscle to sustain repeated contractions over time.