Golgi tendon organ

Golgi tendon organ
Labeled diagram of Golgi tendon organ from the human Achilles tendon.
Details
SystemMusculoskeletal system
LocationSkeletal muscle
Identifiers
Latinorganum sensorium tendinis
THH3.03.00.0.00024
Anatomical terms of microanatomy

The Golgi tendon organ (GTO) (also known as Golgi organ, tendon organ, neurotendinous organ or neurotendinous spindle) is a skeletal muscle stretch receptor proprioceptor. It is situated at the interface between a muscle and its tendon known as the musculotendinous junction.[1] It senses muscle tension (whereas muscle spindles are responsible for detecting muscle length and changes in muscle length). It is innervated by type Ib sensory nerve fibers.[2]

It represents the sensory leg of the Golgi tendon reflex arc.

The Golgi tendon organ is one of several eponymous terms named after the Italian physician Camillo Golgi.

  1. ^ MacIntosh, Brian R. (2006). Skeletal muscle : form and function (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0736045171.
  2. ^ Hall, John E.; Hall, Michael E. (2021). "Chapter 55 - Spinal Cord Motor Functions; the Cord Reflexes". Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (14th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-323-59712-8.