Muscle tonus

Definition
noun
(1) The muscle in a steady partially contracted state caused by the successive flow of nerve impulses.
(2) The amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle.
Supplement
Muscle tonus helps in maintaining body posture. For instance, the muscles holding the jaw keep it in position with a continuous and partial contraction. When a person sleeps or loses consciousness, the muscle tonus declines.
Word origin: tonus » Greek tónos (tone)
Synonyms:

muscular tonus
muscle tone
residual muscle tension
tonus

See also: hypotonia, hypertonia.

Animal Water Regulation

Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..

Plant Water Regulation

Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

The Water Cycle

The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..

Adaptation Tutorial

Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..

Plant Biology

Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..

The Origins of Life

This tutorial digs into the past to investigate the origins of life. The section is split into geological periods in the..

You will also like...