Contractile Proteins
Proteins that generate mechanical force through conformational changes. The primary contractile proteins in muscle are actin and myosin, which slide past each other to produce contraction.
Biological Context
Muscle fibers contain thousands of sarcomeres—repeating units where actin and myosin filaments overlap. When ATP provides energy, myosin 'walks' along actin filaments, shortening the sarcomere and generating force. After muscle damage (from exercise), cells synthesize additional contractile proteins during repair, making the muscle stronger—a classic hormetic response.
Business Application
Organizational contractile capacity: the people and systems that generate output. When you stress these systems appropriately (challenging projects, tight deadlines), the organization builds more capacity—more people, better processes, stronger culture. But overstress damages without adaptation.