muscle fiber
- Noun:
- An elongated contractile cell that forms the muscles of the body: A muscle fiber is a single, long, cylindrical cell capable of contracting (shortening) to produce force and movement. These specialized cells are the fundamental building blocks of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle tissue.
- Noun:
- Under the microscope, you can see each individual muscle fiber.
- Strength training can cause muscle fibers to grow in size.
- The injury damaged several muscle fibers, leading to weakness.
"Fast-twitch muscle fiber": A type of muscle fiber that contracts quickly and powerfully but fatigues rapidly. It is used for short bursts of activity like sprinting or weightlifting.
- Athletes in power sports typically have a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers.
"Slow-twitch muscle fiber": A type of muscle fiber that contracts more slowly and with less force but is highly resistant to fatigue. It is used for endurance activities like long-distance running.
- Marathon runners rely heavily on their slow-twitch muscle fibers.
"Muscle fiber recruitment": The process by which the nervous system activates more muscle fibers to produce a stronger contraction.
- Lifting heavier weights requires the recruitment of additional muscle fibers.
Muscle cell (n): A synonym for muscle fiber.
- Each muscle cell contains many myofibrils.
Myofiber (n): An alternative technical term for muscle fiber.
- The biopsy examined the structure of the myofiber.
Myocyte (n): A general term for a muscle cell, often used in scientific contexts.
- Cardiac myocytes are responsible for the heart's contractions.
- Muscle cell: The basic structural unit of muscle tissue.
- Myocyte: A cell of muscular tissue.
Muscle fiber type: Refers to the classification of fibers (e.g., Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb) based on their contractile and metabolic properties.
- His training is designed to target a specific muscle fiber type.
Muscle fiber bundle (Fascicle): A group of muscle fibers bound together by connective tissue.
- A fascicle contains hundreds of muscle fibers.
Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact term "muscle fiber." Idioms typically relate to the concept of "muscle" in a more general, figurative sense.
- an elongated contractile cell that forms the muscles of the body