Definition

Noun: * An elongated contractile cell in striated muscle tissue: A single, thread-like cell that makes up skeletal and cardiac muscle. It is characterized by a striped or banded (striated) appearance under a microscope due to the organized arrangement of its internal proteins. These fibers are responsible for generating force and enabling voluntary movement (in skeletal muscle) and involuntary pumping of the heart (in cardiac muscle).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Under high magnification, each striated muscle fiber shows distinct light and dark bands.
  • The strength of a muscle is partly determined by the number and thickness of its striated muscle fibers.
  • A single motor neuron can stimulate multiple striated muscle fibers to contract simultaneously.

Advanced Usage

• "Fast-twitch striated muscle fiber": A type of fiber designed for powerful, rapid contractions but fatigues quickly. Common in muscles used for sprinting or weightlifting.
  • Athletes in power sports typically have a higher proportion of fast-twitch striated muscle fibers.
• "Slow-twitch striated muscle fiber": A type of fiber designed for endurance, contracting more slowly but resisting fatigue. Common in muscles used for posture and long-distance running.
  • Marathon runners rely heavily on their slow-twitch striated muscle fibers.

Variants and Related Words

• Muscle fiber (n): A more general term for an elongated muscle cell. All striated muscle fibers are muscle fibers, but not all muscle fibers are striated (e.g., smooth muscle fibers are not).
• Myofiber (n): A technical synonym for muscle fiber.
• Myocyte (n): A cell of muscular tissue; a muscle cell.
• Striated muscle (n): The tissue composed of many striated muscle fibers, found in skeletal and cardiac muscle.

Synonyms

• Muscle cell: The fundamental cellular unit of muscle tissue.
• Myofiber: A technical term for a muscle fiber.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Sarcomere: The basic repeating unit of contraction within a striated muscle fiber.
• Myofibril: A long, cylindrical organelle within a muscle fiber, composed of many sarcomeres in series.
• Sarcoplasm: The cytoplasm of a muscle fiber.

Noun

1. an elongated contractile cell in striated muscle tissue