BSC 2010C Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Myasthenia Gravis, Myosin, Contracture
Document Summary
Contractile proteins are a group of proteins found in muscle cells that play a crucial role in muscle contraction. There are two primary types of contractile proteins: actin and myosin. Actin is a thin, fibrous protein that forms the primary structural component of muscle cells. It is responsible for the elastic properties of muscle tissue and helps to maintain the shape of muscle cells. Actin is also involved in muscle contraction, providing the scaffolding that myosin filaments use to generate force. Myosin is a thick, motor protein that is responsible for the active contraction of muscle cells. It consists of a long tail and a globular head, which binds to actin filaments to generate force. During muscle contraction, myosin filaments pull on actin filaments, causing them to slide past one another and shorten the overall length of the muscle fiber. In addition to actin and myosin, there are several other proteins involved in muscle contraction, including troponin and tropomyosin.
