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A motor unit consists of a single motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates. It's critical for initiating and controlling the strength of muscle contractions and movement.

The stretch reflex is a muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle. It's a protective response to maintain muscle length and joint stability.

The myelin sheath is the insulating layer around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord. It increases the speed of neural conductivity, facilitating rapid movement responses.

A muscle spindle is a sensory receptor located within the muscle that detects changes in muscle length and triggers reflexive adjustments, crucial for movement control.

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. It's important for learning new motor skills and adapting to injuries.

An action potential is an electrical impulse that travels along the membrane of a neuron or muscle cell. It's essential for initiating muscle contraction and generating movement.

Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of body parts and strength of effort being employed in movement. It's key for coordination and balance during movement.

Excitation-contraction coupling is the process where an electrical impulse in a muscle fiber leads to muscle contraction. This is essential for producing force and initiating movement.

The force-length relationship is the physiological principle stating that muscle force depends on the length of its fibers during contraction. Optimal muscle length allows for maximum force production, impacting movement efficiency.

A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that transmits signals across a synapse from one neuron to another or to a muscle cell, affecting movement coordination and control.

A sarcomere is the basic unit of striated muscle tissue responsible for muscle contraction. The sliding of sarcomeres against each other produces muscle shortening, leading to movement.

The neuromuscular junction is the site where a motor neuron communicates with a muscle fiber, using neurotransmitters to initiate muscle contraction.

The motor cortex is part of the cerebral cortex involved in planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements. Signals from the motor cortex direct muscular activity.

Reciprocal inhibition is the process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint, necessary for smooth and coordinated movements.

Motor Learning is a change, resulting from practice or a novel experience, in the capability for responding. It's essential for acquiring and refining skills and movements.

A synapse is the junction between nerves where they communicate or between a neuron and a muscle cell. Synaptic transmission influences how effectively a muscle can be activated.

The Golgi tendon organ is a sensory receptor located at the muscle-tendon junction; it detects tension changes in the muscle and helps to prevent muscle damage from excessive force.

A reflex arc is the neural pathway that mediates a reflex action, enabling a quick, involuntary movement in response to a stimulus, without conscious brain involvement.

Muscle tone refers to the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles, which helps to maintain posture and readiness for action.