Question

As skeletal muscle is further stretched beyond the length where optimum force is developed, ________. As skeletal muscle is further stretched beyond the length where optimum force is developed, ________. the thick filaments overlap one another, thereby reducing their ability to interact with actin the thin filaments overlap one another, thereby reducing their ability to interact with myosin the thick filaments are pulled away from one another, thereby reducing their ability to interact with actin the thin filaments are pulled away from one another, thereby reducing their ability to interact with myosin the amount of calcium released by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is reduced as length increases

Answer 1

When a skeletal muscle is overly stretched, less overlap between the thick and thin filaments occurs, leading to reduced cross-bridge formation and, consequently, decreased muscle tension.

Step-by-step explanation:

As skeletal muscle is further stretched beyond the length where optimum force is developed, the thick filaments are pulled away from one another, thereby reducing their ability to interact with actin. This leads to fewer cross-bridge formations, as they can only form where thick and thin filaments overlap, limiting the myosin heads' availability to pull on the actin, thus producing less tension. The length-tension relationship is crucial to understanding how the sarcomere functions, which dictates the overall muscle contraction.