noun
- Plural of myofibril; contractile protein filaments within muscle cells that are responsible for muscle contraction.
Usage: technical/scientific term; always used in plural form in most contexts; singular form is myofibril
Examples
- Myofibrils are the basic contractile units of skeletal muscle cells.
- Under a microscope, myofibrils appear as striped structures running parallel to each other.
- The arrangement of thick and thin filaments within myofibrils creates the characteristic banding pattern of muscle tissue.
- During muscle contraction, myofibrils shorten as the filaments slide past one another.
- Damage to myofibrils can result in muscle weakness or dysfunction.