Final answer:
The two factors that limit the minimal length of skeletal muscle are sarcomere length and overlap. Sarcomeres consist of thin actin filaments and thick myosin filaments, and the force generated during muscle contraction depends on the overlap between these filaments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two factors that limit the minimal length of skeletal muscle are sarcomere length and overlap. Sarcomeres are the functional units of muscle contraction and they consist of thin actin filaments and thick myosin filaments. The sliding filament model of muscle contraction involves the interaction of myosin heads with actin, and this can only occur when there is overlap between the thin and thick filaments within the sarcomere. Therefore, the length of the sarcomere directly affects the force generated during muscle contraction.