A mechanochemical theory of fluctuations in muscles

Subtitle: I—Introduction to the theory

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Jackson, Julius L.^{; †} | Oplatka, Avraham

Affiliations: Polymer Department, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Note: [†] Deceased 5 June 1974.

Abstract: Equations of motions for the z-bands of a striated muscle in isometric tetanus arc written. The different kinds of forces acting on the z-bands arc considered and their properties discussed. Included arc the mechanochemical force, a damping force, and a spring force. The relevant statistical averages that one must calculate in order to compare theory with experiment are identified. By way of illustration the model is solved for the simplest non-trivial case, that wherein damping and inertial affects are neglected. For this case the basic qualitative features are: (1) the mean square fluctuation of the inter-sarcomere distance is a minimum at the center of a muscle; (2) the mean square fluctuation of a z-bands about its average position is a maximum at the center of the muscle; (3) the mean square fluctuations of z-band positions and intersarcomere distances are greater for longer muscles.

DOI: 10.3233/BIR-1974-11502

Journal: Biorheology, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 315-322, 1974