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Related Concept Videos

The Sarcomere01:08

The Sarcomere

22.9K
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...
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Cross-bridge Cycle01:26

Cross-bridge Cycle

125.6K
As muscle contracts, the overlap between the thin and thick filaments increases, decreasing the length of the sarcomere—the contractile unit of the muscle—using energy in the form of ATP. At the molecular level, this is a cyclic, multistep process that involves binding and hydrolysis of ATP, and movement of actin by myosin.
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Overview of Skeletal Muscle01:15

Overview of Skeletal Muscle

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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,...
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Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

31.1K
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...
31.1K
Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles01:13

Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles

31.4K
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...
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Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles01:20

Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles

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Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
When an action...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.
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Sarcomere Shortening of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Fluorescent-Tagged Sarcomere Proteins.

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Targeting the sarcomere to correct muscle function.

Peter M Hwang1, Brian D Sykes2

  • 1Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Clinical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, 11350 83 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada.

Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery
|April 18, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sarcomeric modulators offer a novel therapeutic approach for diseases impairing muscle function. These agents target key muscle proteins like myosin and troponin to restore muscle contraction and relaxation balance.

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Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer
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Isometric and Eccentric Force Generation Assessment of Skeletal Muscles Isolated from Murine Models of Muscular Dystrophies
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Isolating Myofibrils from Skeletal Muscle Biopsies and Determining Contractile Function with a Nano-Newton Resolution Force Transducer
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Isometric and Eccentric Force Generation Assessment of Skeletal Muscles Isolated from Murine Models of Muscular Dystrophies
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Isometric and Eccentric Force Generation Assessment of Skeletal Muscles Isolated from Murine Models of Muscular Dystrophies

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Physiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Muscle contraction and relaxation are critical physiological processes disrupted in various human diseases.
  • Current treatments for compromised striated muscle function are limited.
  • Sarcomeric modulators represent a promising new class of therapeutic agents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging agents that modulate the mechanical function of the sarcomere.
  • To focus on novel compounds targeting myosin or the troponin complex.
  • To highlight the potential of sarcomeric modulators in treating muscle-related diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific publications and clinical trials.
  • Analysis of emerging compounds targeting sarcomeric proteins.
  • Focus on agents modulating myosin and troponin complex function.

Main Results:

  • Sarcomeric modulators can restore the balance between muscle contraction and relaxation.
  • These agents can act directly on muscle proteins or indirectly via signaling pathways.
  • Emerging compounds show potential for treating heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and neuromuscular conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Sarcomeric modulators offer a novel therapeutic strategy for conditions with compromised striated muscle function.
  • Targeting myosin and troponin represents a key approach for developing these modulators.
  • This class of agents holds significant promise for a wide range of neuromuscular and cardiac diseases.