Latent period

Definition

The latent period is the brief time lapse between the application of a stimulus to a muscle and the start of its contraction. It represents the period during which the muscle prepares for contraction but no visible change in tension occurs.

Related terms

Action Potential: An electrical impulse that travels along the membrane of a neuron or muscle fiber, initiating activity such as muscle contraction.

Muscle Contraction: The process by which muscle fibers generate force and shorten or stiffen, producing movement or maintaining posture.

Excitation: Contraction Coupling - The physiological mechanism where an action potential triggers a myocyte (muscle cell) to contract, linking electrical stimulation with mechanical response in muscle tissue