What is the functional unit of a muscle and how does it contribute to muscle contraction?

The functional unit of a muscle is called a sarcomere. Sarcomeres are made up of overlapping filaments of actin and myosin proteins. During muscle contraction, the myosin filaments pull the actin filaments closer together, causing the muscle to shorten and generate force. This process is repeated throughout the muscle, allowing it to contract and produce movement.