myofibril

physiology
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/science/myofibril
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

myofibril, very fine contractile fibres, groups of which extend in parallel columns along the length of striated muscle fibres. The myofibrils are made up of thick and thin myofilaments, which help give the muscle its striped appearance. The thick filaments are composed of myosin, and the thin filaments are predominantly actin, along with two other muscle proteins, tropomyosin and troponin. Muscular contraction is caused by the interaction between actin and myosin as they temporarily bind to each other and are released.