Glossary
- 3rd class lever
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a lever with the effort between the load and the fulcrum
- Abductionmovement on the frontal plane, away from the midline
- absorptive state
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also called the fed state; the metabolic state occurring during the first few hours after ingesting food in which the body is digesting food and absorbing the nutrient
- acceleration
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a vector quantity that is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity
- Adduction
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movement on the frontal plane, toward the midline of the body
- adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
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the basic form of cellular energy found in the body
- anabolic hormones
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hormones that stimulate the synthesis of new, larger molecules
- anabolic reactions
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the constructive components of metabolism that help with macromolecular synthesis
- Anatomical Position
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The reference position for the body used when describing positions and directions. The person is facing forward with arms at their side, palms facing forward and toes pointed forward.
- Anterior
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anatomical directional descriptor for on or toward the front or palm side of the body
- assumptions
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ignoring some compilation of the in order to simplify the analysis or proceed even though information is lacking
- axis of rotation
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the axis is the imaginary line that lies at a 90 degree angle from a given plane of motion creating rotational movements along that plane
- basal metabolic rate (BMR)
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amount of energy expended by the body at rest
- biomechanics
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the study of continuum mechanics (that is, the study of loads, motion, stress, and strain of solids and fluids) of biological systems and the mechanical effects on the body’s movement, size, shape and structure
- biosynthesis reactions
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reactions that create new molecules, also called anabolic reactions
- biosynthetic reactions
- cardiac muscle
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heart muscle, under involuntary control, composed of striated cells that attach to form fibers, each cell contains a single nucleus, contracts autonomously
- cardiomyocytes
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cardiac muscle cells
- catabolic hormones
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hormones that stimulate the breakdown of larger molecules
- catabolic reactions
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the degradative component of metabolism that involves the release of energy and breakdown of complex materials
- cellular biomechanics
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how cells can sense mechanical forces and create biological responses for growth, differentiation, movement, gene expression, etc
- chemical energy
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the energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds including atoms and molecule which is release when a chemical reaction occurs
- classes of levers
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There are three types or classes of levers, according to where the load and effort are located with respect to the fulcrum
- concentric contraction
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the muscle shortening to move a load
- contraction phase
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twitch contraction phase when tension increases
- Contralateral
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anatomical directional descriptor for the opposite side of the body from the reference point
- cortisol
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a hormone released from the adrenal gland in response to stress
- cytokines
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a class of immunoregulatory proteins that are secreted by the cells particularly of the immune system
- distal
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anatomical directional descriptor for further from the center of the body than the reference point
- Dorsiflexion
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movement that pulls the toes up toward the knee
- eccentric contraction
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the muscle tension diminishes and the muscle lengthens
- effort
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referring to a lever system, the force applied in order to hold or lift the load
- effort arm
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in a lever, the distance from the line of action of the effort to the fulcrum or pivot
- elastic energy
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the potential energy created through elastic deformation
- epinephrine
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release in response to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system during the fight or flight response
- estrogen
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produced primarily by the ovaries, but also the liver and adrenal glands; increases metabolism and fat deposition
- Eversion
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movement of the sole of the foot away from the midline of the body
- Extension
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a movement where the relative angle between two adjacent segments increases
- external
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anatomical directional descriptor for more outside the body or closer to the surface of the body
- External rotation
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rotation of a joint away from the midline of the body
- FADH2
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high-energy molecule needed for glycolysis
- First class levers
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levers with the fulcrum placed between the effort and load
- flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)
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coenzyme used to produce FADH2
- Flexion
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a bending movement in which the relative angle between two adjacent segments decreases
- force
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any interaction that causes objects with mass to change speed and/or direction of motion, except when balanced by other forces. We experience forces as pushes and pulls
- friction
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the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another
- frontal plane
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the imaginary plane of motion that separates the body into front and back
- fulcrum
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the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots
- glucagon
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a hormone released from the alpha cells in the pancreas when the body need to generate energy through stimulating the breakdown of glycogen in the liver to increase blood glucose levels; works with insulin to stabilize blood glucose levels
- glycogen
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form that glucose assumes when it is stored
- graded muscle response
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modification of contraction strength
- gravity
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the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass
- growth hormone
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a hormone synthesized and released from the pituitary gland to stimulate the growth of cells, tissues, and bones
- Horizontal abduction
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movement of the arm or thigh in the transverse plane from and anterior position to a lateral position
- Horizontal adduction
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movement of the arm or thigh in the transverse plan from a lateral position to an anterior position
- human movement
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Human movement as a whole involves the interactions between bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints within the body as well as external loads such as gravity in a coordinated and complex manner to create meaningful movement
- Hyperextension
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a joint moving beyond the normal state of extension, in reference to the anatomical position
- hypertonia
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abnormally high muscle tone
- hypotonia
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abnormally low muscle tone caused by the absence of low-level contractions
- inertia
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a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force
- Inferior
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anatomical directional descriptor for closer to the feet/toes than the reference point
- insulin
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a hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas that helps to manage blood glucose levels by promoting the uptake of glucose into the body cells
- insulin-like growth factor
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stimulates the growth of muscle and bone while also inhibiting cell death
- internal
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anatomical directional descriptor for more inside the body or further beneath the surface of the body
- Internal rotation
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rotation of a joint toward the midline of the body
- Inversion
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movement of the sole of the foot toward the midline of the body
- ipsilateral
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anatomical directional description for something on the same side of the body as the reference point
- isometric contraction
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the muscle produces tension without changing the angle of a skeletal joint
- isotonic contraction
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the tension in the muscle stays constant, a load is moved as the length of the muscle changes (shortens)
- kinetic energy
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energy which a body possesses by virtue of being in motion, energy stored by an object in motion
- kinetic friction
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a force that resists the sliding motion between two surfaces
- latent period
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the time when a twitch does not produce contraction
- lateral
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anatomical directional descriptor for further from the midline of the body
- lever
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a rigid structure rotating on a pivot and acting on a load, used multiply the effect of an applied effort (force) or enhance the range of motion
- lever classes
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the three types or classes of levers, according to where the load and effort are located with respect to the fulcrum
- load
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a weight or other force being moved or held by a structure such as a lever
- mass
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the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its acceleration under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field
- mechanical advantage
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ratio of the output and input forces of a machine
- mechanical energy
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sum of the kinetic energy, or energy of motion, and the potential energy, or energy stored in a system by reason of the position of its parts
- Medial
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anatomical directional descriptor for closer to the midline of the body
- metabolic rate
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amount of energy consumed minus the amount of energy expended by the body
- metabolism
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the sum of all energy-requiring and energy-consuming processes of the body
- mitochondria
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the powerhouse of the cell for oxidative metabolism
- molecular biomechanics
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how mechanical forms affect the biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and various proteins within our body function, react, and transport
- momentum
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the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity
- motor unit
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The actual group of muscle fibers in a muscle innervated by a single motor neuron
- motor unit recruitment
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increase in the number of motor units involved in contraction
- muscle tension
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force generated by the contraction of the muscle; tension generated during isotonic contractions and isometric contractions
- muscle tone
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low levels of muscle contraction that occur when a muscle is not producing movement
- myocyte
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muscle cells
- myogram
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instrument used to measure twitch tension
- NADH
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high-energy molecule needed for glycolysis
- negligible
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small enough as to not push the results of an analysis outside the desired level of accuracy
- Newton
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an absolute unit of force in the International System of Units (SI units), abbreviated N. The force necessary to provide a mass of one kilogram with an acceleration of one meter per second per second.
- nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)
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coenzyme used to produce NADH
- order of magnitude
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designating which power of 10 (e.g. 1,10,100,100)
- oxidation
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loss of an electron
- oxidation-reduction reaction
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(also, redox reaction) pair of reactions in which an electron is passed from one molecule to another, oxidizing one and reducing the other
- perpendicular
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at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface
- pivot
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the central point, pin, or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates
- planes of motion
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the imaginary flat surface that runs through the body that help us describe and dictate movements
- Plantarflexion
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movement that points the the toes down away from the body
- post-absorptive state
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also called the fasting state; the metabolic state occurring after digestion when food is no longer the body’s source of energy and it must rely on stored glycogen
- posterior
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anatomical directional descriptor for on or toward the back side of the body
- potential energy
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stored energy that depends upon the relative position of various parts of a system
- precision
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refers to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other
- Pronation
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rotation of the hand bringing the thumb toward the midline of the body or palm toward the back of the head
- prone
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anatomical directional descriptor for something face down or palm down
- Proximal
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anatomical directional descriptor for nearer to the center of the body or reference point
- range of motion
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distance or angle traversed by a body part
- reduction
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gaining of an electron
- relaxation phase
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period after twitch contraction when tension decreases
- resistance
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the force working against the rotation of a lever that would be caused by the effort
- resistance arm
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shortest distance from the line of action of the resistance to the fulcrum
- sagittal plane
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the imaginary plane of motion that separates the body into left and right
- Scapular depression
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inferior movement of the shoulder blades (scapula)
- Scapular elevation
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superior movement of the shoulder blades (scapula)
- Scapular protraction
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movement of the shoulder blades (scapula) away from the midline of the body, following the angle of the ribcage
- Scapular retraction
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movement of the shoulder blades (scapula) closer together, toward the midline of the body
- scientific notation
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a way of writing very large or very small numbers. A number is written in scientific notation when a number between 1 and 10 is multiplied by a power of 10.
- Second class levers
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levers with the resistance (load) in-between the effort and the fulcrum
- significant figures
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each of the digits of a number that are used to express it to the required degree of accuracy, starting from the first nonzero digit
- size principle
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the correspondence between the size of motor units and the order of recruitment
- skeletal muscle
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usually attached to bone, under voluntary control, each cell is a fiber that is multinucleated and striated
- smooth muscle
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under involuntary control, moves internal organs, cells contain a single nucleus, are spindle-shaped, and do not appear striated; each cell is a fiber
- speed
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the rate at which an object covers distance
- static equilibrium
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the state being in equilibrium (no unbalanced forces or torques) and also having no motion
- static friction
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a force that resists the tenancy of surfaces to slide across one another due to a force(s) being applied to one or both of the surfaces
- striation
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alignment of parallel actin and myosin filaments which form a banded pattern
- Superior
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anatomical directional descriptor for closer to the head than the reference point
- Supination
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rotation of the hand bringing thumbs away from the midline of the body or palms toward the face
- supine
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anatomical directional descriptor for face up or palm up orientation
- tension
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the force that is provided by an object in response to being pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends, typically in reference to a rope, cable or wire
- testosterone
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a hormone produced by the testes in males and the ovaries in females; stimulates an increase in muscle mass, strength, as well as growth and strengthening of the bones
- tetanus
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a continuous fused contraction
- thermal energy
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energy that is caused by motion of the particles within the object or system related to its temperature
- tissue biomechanics
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how tissues grow and respond to various stimuli
- torque
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the result of a force applied to an object in such a way that the object would change its rotational speed, except when the torque is balanced by other torques
- transverse plane
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the imaginary plane of motion that separates the body into top and bottom
- treppe
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stepwise increase in contraction tension
- twitch
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single contraction produced by one action potential
- velocity
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the speed of something in a given direction
- wave summation
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addition of successive neural stimuli to produce greater contraction
- weight
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the force of gravity on on object, typically in reference to the force of gravity caused by Earth or another celestial body
- work
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the energy transferred to or from an object via the application of force along a displacement