The thick filaments in skeletal muscle are primarily composed of which protein?

Study for the Ivy Tech APHY 101 Muscle System Test. Dive into comprehensive questions with clear hints and explanations, boosting your confidence for the exam!

Multiple Choice

The thick filaments in skeletal muscle are primarily composed of which protein?

Explanation:
Thick filaments in skeletal muscle are built mainly from myosin. Myosin molecules have long tails that coil together to form the central core of the filament, with globular heads projecting outward. Those heads bind to actin in the thin filaments and, using energy from ATP, pull on actin to generate contraction. This cross-bridge cycling is what shortens the sarcomere and drives muscle shortening. In contrast, actin is the primary component of thin filaments (not thick), while titin and nebulin are structural proteins that help stabilize and regulate the sarcomere and thin-filament length, not form the thick filament itself.

Thick filaments in skeletal muscle are built mainly from myosin. Myosin molecules have long tails that coil together to form the central core of the filament, with globular heads projecting outward. Those heads bind to actin in the thin filaments and, using energy from ATP, pull on actin to generate contraction. This cross-bridge cycling is what shortens the sarcomere and drives muscle shortening. In contrast, actin is the primary component of thin filaments (not thick), while titin and nebulin are structural proteins that help stabilize and regulate the sarcomere and thin-filament length, not form the thick filament itself.

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