MYOTATIC IRRITABILITY Meaning and
Definition
-
Myotatic irritability, also known as the myotatic reflex or the stretch reflex, refers to a physiological response elicited by the stretching of a muscle. It is a built-in protective mechanism of the body that helps maintain posture and balance, as well as prevent potential injuries.
When a muscle is rapidly or suddenly stretched, muscle spindles within the muscle detect the change in length and transmit this sensory information to the spinal cord. Here, the sensory fibers synapse on motor neurons, which regulate muscle contractions. In response to this stretching, the myotatic or stretch reflex is initiated, causing the muscle to contract and resist the stretching force.
The myotatic reflex involves a monosynaptic pathway, meaning it only requires one synapse in the spinal cord between sensory and motor neurons. This fast and automatic response helps the body react swiftly to external stimuli and maintain stable positions.
Furthermore, myotatic irritability can also be used clinically to assess the function of the nervous system. Evaluating the strength and speed of the reflex response can provide insights into the integrity of nerve pathways and the coordination of muscle groups, helping to identify potential neurological abnormalities or injuries.
Overall, myotatic irritability is an inherent aspect of the body's neuromuscular system that serves to maintain balance, stability, and prevent potential harm by prompting a rapid muscle contraction in response to a sudden stretch stimulus.
-
The ability of a muscle to contract in response to the stimulus produced by a sudden stretching.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for MYOTATIC IRRITABILITY
- nyotatic irritability
- kyotatic irritability
- jyotatic irritability
- mtotatic irritability
- mgotatic irritability
- mhotatic irritability
- muotatic irritability
- m7otatic irritability
- m6otatic irritability
- myitatic irritability
- myktatic irritability
- myltatic irritability
- myptatic irritability
- my0tatic irritability
- my9tatic irritability
- myoratic irritability
- myofatic irritability
- myogatic irritability
- myoyatic irritability
- myo6atic irritability
Etymology of MYOTATIC IRRITABILITY
The word "myotatic" is derived from the combination of two Greek words, "mys" meaning "muscle" and "tasis" meaning "tension". "Irritability" comes from the Latin word "irritabilis", which means "easily excited or stimulated". Therefore, "myotatic irritability" refers to the easily excitable or stimulated state of muscles, particularly their tendency to respond to sudden stretching or tapping through reflexive contractions.
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
