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Motor Units

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.

Motor Units

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...

Motor Unit Stimulation

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

Hierarchy of Motor Control

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.

Direct Motor Pathways

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Visualization of the Axonal Projection Pattern of Embryonic Motor Neurons in Drosophila

Visualization of the Axonal Projection Pattern of Embryonic Motor Neurons in Drosophila

Published on: June 16, 2017

Patients with motor conversion disorder use early developmental motor patterns.

Iftah Biran¹, Yona Shahar-Levy¹

¹Division of Neurology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies

|June 5, 2018

Summary

Individuals with conversion disorder/Functional Neurological Disorder (CD/FND) exhibit motor behaviors reflecting early developmental stages. This suggests psychological factors may cause regression or fixation in childhood development.

Keywords:

Conversion disorders Emotorics – Emotive Body Movement Mind Paradigm (Emotorics-EBMMP)Hysteria Somatic complaints Somatoform disorders

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Last Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Visualization of the Axonal Projection Pattern of Embryonic Motor Neurons in Drosophila

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Published on: June 16, 2017

Author Spotlight: Using Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface to Improve Motor and Cognitive Function in Stroke Patients

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Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

Area of Science:

Psychology
Neurology
Developmental Psychology

Background:

Conversion Disorder/Functional Neurological Disorder (CD/FND) is a complex condition affecting motor function.
Understanding the psychological underpinnings of CD/FND is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the psychological factors influencing motor behavior in patients diagnosed with CD/FND.
To analyze psychomotor development patterns in individuals with CD/FND.

Main Methods:

The study involved 6 male patients diagnosed with CD/FND.
Psychomotor behavior was assessed using the Emotorics - Emotive Body Movement Mind Paradigm (Emotorics-EBMMP).
A binary motor-psychological developmental paradigm was employed.

Main Results:

All patients displayed a predominance of the early developmental prototype (P0).
P0 is characterized by flexed postures, similar to an infant with a caregiver.
A relative lack of the more developed prototype (P1), associated with erect posture and interaction, was observed.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of the P0 prototype indicates potential impingement on the core self.
Findings suggest a regression to or fixation in an early developmental stage in CD/FND patients.
Motor behavior analysis provides insights into the psychological state of CD/FND sufferers.