Definition: myoelectric

The electrical signals within the human body that stimulate the muscles to move. The signal, which is less than one millivolt, has an average frequency of about 100Hz. Myoelectric signals are used to move prosthetic limbs. The faint signals are detected and amplified to control the battery-driven, moving elements of the prosthesis. The word myo comes from the Greek "myos" and means "muscle."