The contraction produced can be described as a twitch, summation, or tetanus, depending on the frequency of action potentials. In skeletal muscles, muscle tension is at its greatest when the muscle is stretched to an intermediate length as described by the length-tension relationship. Smooth and cardiac muscle contractions are myogenic and can be modulated by the autonomic nervous system.
sex-linked disorder - any disease or abnormality that is determined by the sex hormones; hemophilia is determined by a gene defect on an X chromosome. bleeder's disease, haemophilia, hemophilia - congenital tendency to uncontrolled bleeding; usually affects males and is transmitted from mother to son.
Genes that are carried by either sex chromosome are said to be sex linked. Men normally have an X and a Y combination of sex chromosomes, while women have two X's. Since only men inherit Y chromosomes, they are the only ones to inherit Y-linked traits. Men and women can get the X-linked ones since both inherit X chromosomes.