An important aspect of anaesthesia is the production of muscle relaxation appropriate for the surgical procedure.

When stimulated, motor neurones propagate an action potential from the spinal cord towards the muscle.

The neuromuscular junction is juxtaposed between the nerve and muscle and enables communication to occur between the two. This interaction is regulated at cholinergic receptor sites situated in the post-synaptic membrane.

The impulse is then further propagated through the muscle fibres, through a tubule system. Thick filaments slide over thin filaments as the muscle contracts.