Final answer:
The statement is false; myofilaments do not shorten but slide past each other during muscle contraction. The thick myosin filaments pull the thin actin filaments, shortening the sarcomere and causing the muscle to contract.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that myofilaments shorten to produce muscle contractions according to the sliding filament mechanism is false. In reality, during muscle contraction, myofilaments do not actually shorten, but rather the thick myosin and thin actin filaments slide past each other. This movement is facilitated when myosin heads, powered by ATP, bind with actin and pull the actin filaments toward the center of the sarcomere. Consequently, the sarcomere shortens and the muscle contracts. It's the cumulative shortening of sarcomeres along the length of muscle fibers that account for muscle contraction.