A new molecular pathway has been identified that is critical for maintaining the smooth muscle tone that allows the passage of materials through the digestive system. Researchers at UMass Medical ...

Contractions of glycerinated skeletal (striated) and vascular (smooth) muscles are similar in their calcium dependence but differ in their magnesium dependence. The threshold concentration of free ...

Activation of muscarinic receptors on the detrusor smooth muscle is followed by contraction, which involves both myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho kinase (ROCK). The aim of this study was to ...

The mechanism of skeletal muscle contraction is a process that relies on calcium signaling. However, the physiological role of calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) through the ryanodine receptor ...

Actomyosin is a protein complex composed of actin and myosin. It is found in muscle fibers where it plays a role in muscle contraction. Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotes. It ...

Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

A research group led by Dr. Keisuke Obara, Dr. Kento Yoshioka, and Professor Yoshio Tanaka from the Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, has ...

Panel A shows the microscopic myoarchitecture of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the lower esophageal sphincter and stomach. The circular muscle fibers of the esophagus cross each other ...

Skeletal muscle is the type of muscle that controls movement. Problems with these muscles can be minor, life-threatening, or ongoing problems that make it hard to perform basic daily activities.

Muscles play a part in every function of the body. The muscular system is made up of over 600 muscles. These include three muscle types: smooth, skeletal, and cardiac. Only skeletal muscles are ...