The 'latch state' in smooth muscle is biologically significant because it allows for:
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Correct answer: Sustained contraction with minimal energy expenditure
In the latch state, dephosphorylated myosin remains attached to actin for an extended period. This allows the muscle to maintain 'tone' (e.g., in sphincters or blood vessels) without exhausting its ATP supply.
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More Smooth Muscle Histology questions
- What happens to the appearance of the smooth muscle cell nucleus during powerful contraction?
- Smooth muscle cells are surrounded by a layer equivalent to the basal lamina of other cells, called the:
- Which of the following describes the characteristic shape of a single smooth muscle cell?
- In a smooth muscle cell, where is the single, elongated nucleus typically located?
- Which structure in smooth muscle is functionally analogous to the Z-discs of striated muscle?
- What is the primary protein composition of the 'dense bodies' found in the sarcoplasm and on the sarcolemma?