Thin filament

Definition

Thin filaments are one of the two types of protein fibers found in skeletal muscle cells, primarily composed of the protein actin, along with troponin and tropomyosin. These filaments interact with thick filaments (myosin) to produce muscle contraction through a process known as the sliding filament model.

Related terms

Actin:

A globular protein that forms microfilaments and is a key component of thin filaments in muscle fibers, crucial for muscle contraction.

Tropomyosin:

A regulatory protein that wraps around actin filaments in muscle cells, blocking myosin binding sites until calcium ions cause its position to shift.

Troponin:

A complex of three proteins attached to tropomyosin, involved in muscular contraction by responding to calcium ion concentration changes within muscle cells