<prompt> Which of the following best describes an attribute of visceral smooth muscle not shared by skeletal muscle?Contraction is ATP dependentContracts in response to stretchDoes not contain actin filamentsHigh rate of cross-bridge cycling  <response>: An impoant characteristic of visceral smooth muscle is its ability to contract in response to stretch. Stretch results in depolarization and potentially the generation of action potentials. These action potentials, coupled with normal slow-wave potentials,stimulate rhythmical contractions. Smooth muscle contraction is dependent on both actin and ATP. However, the cross-bridge cycle in smooth muscle is considerably slower than in skeletal muscle, which allows for a higher maximal force of contraction. 