Muscle spindle
Muscle Spindle
Muscle spindle (pronunciation: /ˈmʌsəl ˈspɪndəl/) is a type of sensory receptor found in muscles that primarily detects changes in the length of the muscle. It conveys length information to the central nervous system via sensory neurons. This information can be processed by the brain to determine the position of body parts.
Etymology
The term "muscle spindle" is derived from the Latin musculus meaning "little mouse" and the Old English spindel meaning "something spun". The term reflects the spindle-like shape of this sensory receptor and its location within muscle tissue.
Function
Muscle spindles are designed to monitor and respond to changes in muscle length. They are composed of intrafusal muscle fibers which are innervated by gamma motor neurons. When a muscle is stretched, the muscle spindles are also stretched, which triggers an increase in the rate of action potentials in the sensory neurons. This information is sent to the central nervous system, where it can be used to coordinate muscle activity.
Related Terms
- Gamma motor neurons: These are a type of motor neuron that innervates the intrafusal muscle fibers of the muscle spindle.
- Intrafusal muscle fibers: These are specialized muscle fibers found within the muscle spindle that are responsible for detecting changes in muscle length.
- Sensory neurons: These are neurons that carry information from sensory receptors (like the muscle spindle) to the central nervous system.
- Central nervous system: This is the part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord. It processes information from sensory receptors and coordinates the activity of all parts of the body.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Muscle spindle
- Wikipedia's article - Muscle spindle
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski