How muscles move without changing length
Muscles contract as actin and myosin filaments slide past each other, a molecular dance that powers all animal movement and even cellular processes like wound healing.
Your muscles contract thanks to a microscopic tug-of-war between two proteins: actin and myosin. These filaments slide past each other, like interlocking fingers, without actually shortening themselves. This clever mechanism, powered by ATP, pulls the muscle's basic units closer, generating all movement from a blink to a sprint.
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