A | B |
Sarcomere | The repeating unit of myofibril |
Neuron | The functional unit of the nervous system, a nerve cell |
Synapse | The interface between a nerve cell and another cell |
Neurotransmitter | A chemical released by a neuron. This chemical travels across the synaptic cleft, allowing the neuron to communicate with another cell. |
Motor Unit | One motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates |
All-or-none law of skeletal muscle contraction | An individual muscle fiber contracts with equal force in response to each action potential |
Subthreshold Stimulus | A stimulus too small to create an action potential in a neuron |
Threshold Stimulus | A stimulus strong enough to create one action potential in a neuron |
Submaximal Stimuli | Stimuli of increasing strength that create more action potentials along more neurons |
Maximal Stimulus | A stimulus which is strong enough to create action potentials in all the motor neurons innervating a whole muscle |
Muscle Tone | The state of partial contraction in a muscle, even when the muscle is not being used |