Tetanic contraction
Tetanic Contraction
Tetanic contraction (pronunciation: te-tan-ic con-trac-tion) is a sustained muscle contraction evoked when the motor nerve that innervates a skeletal muscle emits action potentials at a very high rate.
Etymology
The term "tetanic" is derived from the Greek word "tetanos," which means "stretched." It is used in this context to describe the state of a muscle during a sustained contraction. The term "contraction" comes from the Latin "contractio," which means "a drawing together."
Definition
In a tetanic contraction, the individual contractions blend into one another and the muscle fiber does not have an opportunity to relax. This results in a sustained contraction of the muscle. Tetanic contractions are usually the result of a very high frequency of stimulation.
Related Terms
- Muscle contraction: The activation of tension-generating sites within muscle fibers.
- Twitch contraction: A brief contraction of all the muscle fibers in a motor unit in response to a single action potential in its motor neuron.
- Motor neuron: A neuron that conveys impulses from the central nervous system to a muscle.
- Action potential: A rapid rise and subsequent fall in voltage or membrane potential across a cellular membrane with a characteristic pattern.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Tetanic contraction
- Wikipedia's article - Tetanic contraction
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