"In some units it may suppress the motor discharge altogether, in some it may merely slow the motor discharge thus lessening the wave frequency of the contraction and so the tension"

Charles Scott Sherrington's quote is describing the results of a nerve impulse on a muscle. When a nerve impulse reaches a muscle, it causes the muscle to contract. In some cases, the nerve impulse may entirely suppress the motor discharge, implying that the muscle will not contract at all. In other cases, the nerve impulse might only slow the motor discharge, which will lower the frequency of the contraction and the tension in the muscle. This quote is important due to the fact that it highlights the different impacts that a nerve impulse can have on a muscle, and how this can impact the stress in the muscle. It also demonstrates how nerve impulses can be utilized to manage the stress in a muscle, which is an important idea in the field of physiology.