What method does muscle fiber contraction follow?

Study for the Anatomy and Physiology Muscular System Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions; each question provides hints and explanations. Get ready to excel in your exam!

Multiple Choice

What method does muscle fiber contraction follow?

Explanation:
Muscle fiber contraction follows an all-or-none response. Once a threshold stimulus triggers an action potential, the fiber contracts to its maximal tension for that fiber; if the stimulus is below threshold, it remains relaxed. This is why the body grades force not by making a single fiber contract more strongly in response to stronger stimuli, but by recruiting more fibers (motor units) and by adjusting firing frequency across activated fibers.

Muscle fiber contraction follows an all-or-none response. Once a threshold stimulus triggers an action potential, the fiber contracts to its maximal tension for that fiber; if the stimulus is below threshold, it remains relaxed. This is why the body grades force not by making a single fiber contract more strongly in response to stronger stimuli, but by recruiting more fibers (motor units) and by adjusting firing frequency across activated fibers.

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