Chapter 212 of 2363 min read
Skeletal muscle and mechanism of contraction
Why this is asked: The sliding filament model's classic trap is which band changes: during contraction the A band (myosin's length) stays constant while the I band and H zone shrink as actin slides inward — the filaments don't shorten, the sarcomere does. ATP is needed not just for the power stroke but to detach the myosin head from actin afterward, which is why its absence after death causes rigor mortis.
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