Final answer:
Pennate muscles are more powerful than parallel muscles due to their structural design. In pennate muscles, the muscle fibers are arranged at an angle to the tendon, allowing for a larger number of muscle fibers to be packed into a smaller space. This allows pennate muscles to produce more tension for their size, making them more powerful.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pennate muscles are more powerful than parallel muscles due to their structural design. In pennate muscles, the muscle fibers are arranged at an angle to the tendon, allowing for a larger number of muscle fibers to be packed into a smaller space. This allows pennate muscles to produce more tension for their size, making them more powerful. Parallel muscles, on the other hand, have their muscle fibers arranged in the same direction as the long axis of the muscle, which limits the number of muscle fibers that can be packed into the muscle.