What does "sarcomere" mean?
The contractile unit of the myofibril of a striated muscle.
Sarcomere
/ˈsɑɹ.koʊˌmɪɹ/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The contractile unit of the myofibril of a striated muscle.
- Grammar: sarcomere is listed as noun.
- Usage evidence: Two of the study’s lead researchers, David Warshaw, Ph.D., Michael Previs, Ph.D., both molecular physiologists from the University of Vermont’s Cardiovascular Research Institute, used powerful microscopes to look inside a part of heart muscle tissue called the sarcomere.
How to use "sarcomere"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The contractile unit of the myofibril of a striated muscle.
"1997, Kenneth Axen, Kathleen Vermitsky Axen, The Princeton Review Physiology Coloring Workbook, Princeton Review Publishing, Random House, page 51, The sarcomere determines the amount of overlap between the actin and myosin filaments and thus, the number of cross-bridges that participate in a given contraction. Since each cross bridge contributes to the contraction, sarcomeres generate their maximal force when their contraction employs the maximal number of cross-bridges between the actin and myosin filaments."
- 2 one of the segments into which a myofibril is divided wordnet
Example
"Two of the study’s lead researchers, David Warshaw, Ph.D., Michael Previs, Ph.D., both molecular physiologists from the University of Vermont’s Cardiovascular Research Institute, used powerful microscopes to look inside a part of heart muscle tissue called the sarcomere."
Common questions
How do you use "sarcomere" in a sentence?
Two of the study’s lead researchers, David Warshaw, Ph.D., Michael Previs, Ph.D., both molecular physiologists from the University of Vermont’s Cardiovascular Research Institute, used powerful microscopes to look inside a part of heart muscle tissue called the sarcomere.
How do you pronounce "sarcomere"?
Pronounced /ˈsɑɹ.koʊˌmɪɹ/.
Etymology
From sarco- (“flesh”) + -mere (“component”), from Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx) and μέρος (méros).