What process describes how thick and thin filaments slide relative to each other during muscle contraction?

The sliding filament mechanism is the correct choice because it accurately describes the fundamental process occurring during muscle contraction. This mechanism involves the interaction between thick filaments, primarily composed of myosin, and thin filaments, primarily composed of actin.

During muscle contraction, the thick and thin filaments slide past each other without changing in length. This sliding occurs due to the formation of cross-bridges, where the myosin heads attach to binding sites on the actin filaments, pulling them inward, which shortens the muscle fiber. The cycle of attachment and detachment of myosin heads generates the force of contraction and is a key aspect of the sliding filament theory.

Other processes mentioned, such as cross-bridge cycling, while relevant, refer to the specific steps involved in the sliding filament mechanism rather than describing the overall action of filament sliding. Myofibril shortening and sarcomere elongation do not accurately reflect the actual sliding action that occurs at the molecular level during contraction, as the sarcomere typically shortens rather than elongates during the contraction process. Thus, the sliding filament mechanism is the most comprehensive description of how muscle contraction occurs through the interaction of thick and thin filaments.