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Related Concept Videos

The Sarcomere01:08

The Sarcomere

A sarcomere is a microscopic segment repeating in a myofibril. The sarcomere fundamentally consists of two main myofilaments: thick filaments called myosin and thin filaments called actin. These filaments interact by sliding past each other in response to stimulus. In addition to myosin and actin, several other proteins, such as tropomyosin, troponin, titin, nebulin, myomesin, α-actinin, and dystrophin, play crucial roles in regulating, structuring, and functioning of the sarcomere.
Each myosin...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that form the sarcomere found in skeletal muscle tissues for regulating muscle contraction. Actin, a globular contractile protein, interacts with myosin for muscle contraction. The skeletal tissue appears striped or striated under a microscope due to the repeated arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin along the length of myofibrils. Dark A bands and light I bands repeat along myofibrils, and the alignment of myofibrils in the cell causes...
Overview of Skeletal Muscle01:15

Overview of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscles are composed of a bundle of muscle fibers and are attached to bones through tendons. Each skeletal muscle fiber is a single muscle cell. The sarcolemma, the plasma membrane of a skeletal muscle cell, consists of a lipid bilayer and glycocalyx that supports muscle fibers. The sarcolemma extends into the muscle cells to form tubular structures called transverse or T-tubules. Each side of the T-tubules consists of a membrane-bound structure called the sarcoplasmic reticulum,...
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles01:13

Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles

Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers, are distinctly elongated, multi-nucleated, slender biological units. They are packed with specialized structures designed to facilitate their primary function, which is contraction.
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
The Structure of Intermediate Filaments01:19

The Structure of Intermediate Filaments

The intermediate filaments are one of three widely studied cytoskeletal filaments. They are so named as their diameter (10 nm) is in between that of microfilaments (7 nm) and the microtubules (25 nm).  These filaments are highly stable and can remain intact when exposed to high salt concentrations and detergents. These filaments are responsible for providing stability and mechanical support to the cells. They also help in cell adhesion and maintaining tissue integrity.
Intermediate filaments...
The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells01:10

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells

Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They  are held...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer
07:55

Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer

Published on: May 7, 2020

Are titin properties reflected in single myofibrils?

Jens A Herzog1, Tim R Leonard, Azim Jinha

  • 1University of Calgary, Faculty of Kinesiology, 2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4.

Journal of Biomechanics
|June 9, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers studied titin

Area of Science:

  • Muscle physiology
  • Biomechanical properties of proteins

Background:

  • Titin is a crucial structural protein in muscle.
  • Its mechanical properties are well-studied in isolation but not within the sarcomere.
  • Understanding titin's behavior in situ is essential for muscle mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test if titin's mechanical properties are accurately reflected in single myofibrils.
  • To investigate the passive mechanical behavior of titin within the sarcomere structure.

Main Methods:

  • Single myofibrils from rabbit psoas were subjected to passive stretch-shortening cycles.
  • Tests were conducted in relaxation and inhibited activation solutions.
  • Force-elongation curves were analyzed at various sarcomere lengths and after rest periods.

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Analysis of the Mitochondrial Density and Longitudinal Distribution in Rat Live-Skeletal Muscle Fibers by Confocal Microscopy
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Analysis of the Mitochondrial Density and Longitudinal Distribution in Rat Live-Skeletal Muscle Fibers by Confocal Microscopy

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Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer
07:55

Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer

Published on: May 7, 2020

Analysis of the Mitochondrial Density and Longitudinal Distribution in Rat Live-Skeletal Muscle Fibers by Confocal Microscopy
10:53

Analysis of the Mitochondrial Density and Longitudinal Distribution in Rat Live-Skeletal Muscle Fibers by Confocal Microscopy

Published on: December 1, 2023

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis
08:12

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis

Published on: December 1, 2023

Main Results:

  • Myofibrils exhibited viscoelastic behavior, with efficiency improving with repeated cycles.
  • An inflection point in force-elongation curves at 3.5μm sarcomere length indicated Ig domain unfolding.
  • This inflection point was absent after a rest, suggesting limited spontaneous refolding.

Conclusions:

  • Passive myofibrillar mechanics in single myofibrils closely mimic those of isolated titin molecules.
  • Single myofibrils serve as a reliable model for studying titin's mechanical properties.
  • This approach simplifies the study of titin mechanics compared to labile single-molecule preparations.