There are four major functional characteristics of skeletal muscle. (i) Contractility- for muscle movement (ii) Excitability- response to chemical and/or electrical signals. (iii) Extensibility- the ability to stretch to the normal resting length after contracting (iv) Elasticity - the ability to return to the original resting length after a muscle has been stretched. Solution There are four major functional characteristics of skeletal muscle. (i) Contractility- for muscle movement (ii) Excitability- response to chemical and/or electrical signals. (iii) Extensibility- the ability to stretch to the normal resting length after contracting (iv) Elasticity - the ability to return to the original resting length after a muscle has been stretched..