What does Golgi tendon organ detect?

What does Golgi tendon organ detect?

• A. Change in muscle tension
• B. Change in muscle length
• C. Blood flow
• D. Joint rotation

Answer: (A)

Golgi tendon organs monitor muscle tension rather than length. They’re located at the tendon–muscle junction and send signals (via Ib afferents) when the force in the tendon increases during contraction. This feedback helps regulate force by triggering autogenic inhibition of the motor neurons to protect the tendon from injury if tension gets too high. This is different from muscle spindles, which mainly detect changes in muscle length and the speed of that change. Blood flow and joint rotation are not what Golgi tendon organs sense, so the best answer is the change in muscle tension.

Golgi tendon organs monitor muscle tension rather than length. They’re located at the tendon–muscle junction and send signals (via Ib afferents) when the force in the tendon increases during contraction. This feedback helps regulate force by triggering autogenic inhibition of the motor neurons to protect the tendon from injury if tension gets too high. This is different from muscle spindles, which mainly detect changes in muscle length and the speed of that change. Blood flow and joint rotation are not what Golgi tendon organs sense, so the best answer is the change in muscle tension.