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Glite Dictionary
myofibril

myofibril

1 9.9
A long thin thread in muscle cells that makes the muscle get shorter
  • noun
  • /ˌmaɪəˈfaɪbrəl/
  • Specialized
: miofibrilla
  • The myofibril is a crucial part of muscle cells that helps them contract effectively.

Examples

  • Muscle strength is largely dependent on the number and health of myofibrils within the cells.

  • Intensity training often leads to the tearing of myofibrils, which stimulates muscle growth.

  • So the myofibrils, the the myofibril is this little element inside of the muscle fiber itself.

  • Fibers are composed of myofibrils, which are terminally composed of sarcomeres.

    Academic text (2005)

Synonyms

sarcostyle
vsmyofibril
  • Specialized
9.9

A thin thread inside a muscle cell that helps the muscle shorten

refers generally to each elongated contractile thread causing contraction

Surface Forms

myofibril singular
myofibrils plural

Morphology

myofibril = fibril (semi-transparent) = myo + fibril + myo

Built from a technical combining form 'myo-' meaning 'muscle' plus 'fibril'; the relation to 'muscle fiber' is clear to readers of scientific vocabulary but the form 'myo-' is not familiar to average B1 learners.

Etymology

Myofibril comes from two parts: myo- meaning 'muscle' and fibril meaning 'small fiber', just like the everyday word fiber. So a myofibril is a tiny muscle thread, one of the small fibers inside a muscle that helps it contract.