Are dark bands formed because of the accumulation of myofilaments there?

1 Answer
May 24, 2018

In a myofibril there exists many interwoven actin and myosin filaments. In a sarcomere there exists alternating I and A bands with varying electron density under EM.

In a dark band (A band), thick (mainly myosin), and thin (mainly actin) filaments overlap.

In a light band (I band), it is lighter because it contains only thin, actin filaments.

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When your muscles contract, and myosin undergoes conformational change due to its ATPase activity, the active myosin "pull" the actins from the I bands through the A band.