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HistologyTypes of tissuesMuscle tissueMyofilament
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HistologyTypes of tissuesMuscle tissueMyofilament

Myofilament

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: March 21, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Skeletal muscle tissue [12:25]
This type of tissue is found in skeletal muscles and is responsible for the voluntary movements of bones.
Myofilament
Myofilamentum
1/3
Synonyms: Actin and myosin

Myofilaments are the protein filaments which make up myofibrils. They are arranged into repeating contractile units called sarcomeres, which are connected in-series along the length of a myofibril. There are three main types of myofilaments; thick, thin and elastic. Thick myofilaments consist primarily of the protein myosin, thin myofilaments consist primarily of the protein actin, whilst elastic myofilaments are composed of a springy protein called titin.

These myofilaments work together to produce muscle contractions, in which the actin filaments slide along the myosin filaments to shorten the sarcomeres. The repeating regular arrangement of actin and myosin within sarcomeres gives them a distinct striated appearance with light I bands and dark A bands when viewed under a light microscope.

Terminology English: Myofilament
Latin: Myofilamentum
Definition Protein filaments which make up myofibrils
Types Thin (actin), thick (myosin), elastic (titin)

Learn more about skeletal muscle structure with this study unit (and article):

Skeletal muscle Explore study unit
Striated musculature Read article

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.
  • Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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