An enzyme found in the synaptic cleft at cholinergic synapses. It degrades acetylcholine to choline and acetate and, thus, terminates the action of acetylcholine at the synapse. Neither choline nor acetate can bind to acetylcholine receptors (nicotinic or muscarinic).

The H zone is in the center of the A band where there is no overlap between the thick and the thin filaments. Therefore, in the H zone, the filaments consist only of the thick filament. The H zone becomes smaller as the muscle contracts and the sarcomere shortens. The center of the H zone is at the M line, which is also at the center of the sarcomere.

A band
I band
M line
Z disk

The Z disk (or Z line) defines the boundaries of a muscle sarcomere. Two adjacent Z disks along the myofibril mark the boundaries of a single sarcomere. The Z disks are the attachment sites for the thin filaments. Therefore, from each Z disk, thin filaments extend to two neighboring sarcomeres. When a muscle fiber contracts, the Z disks of a sarcomere move closer together (i.e., the sarcomere also shortens).

A band
H zone
I band
M line

Z disk

A band
H zone
I band
M line