The Comparative Structure and Function of Muscle is based upon a series of lectures given at the University of Lancaster over the last seven years, and it follows a natural division into structure, electrophysiology and excitation and mechanical activity. Within each section, an attempt is made to cover all muscle types in as wide a range of animals as the literature will allow.
This book comprises 10 chapters, with the first one focusing on the fine structure of skeletal muscle. The following chapters then discuss the fine structure of cardiac and visceral muscle; the innervation of muscle; the ionic basis of the resting potential; the action potential and the activation of muscle; electrical activity and electrochemistry of invertebrate skeletal muscle; electrical activity of invertebrate and vertebrate cardiac muscle; the electrical activity and electrochemistry of visceral muscle; the mechanics of muscle; and excitation-contraction coupling and relaxation.
This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of anatomy and the health sciences.

Contenu

Introduction
Section 1. The Structure of Muscle
Introduction
1 The Fine Structure of Skeletal Muscle
The contractile component
The non-contractile component
Heterogeneity of muscle fibres
2 The Fine Structure of Cardiac and Visceral Muscle
Cardiac muscles
Visceral muscle
3 The Innervation of Muscle
The vertebrate and arthropod pattern
Section 2. The Electrical Activity of Muscle
Introduction
4 The Ionic Basis of the Resting Potential
The ionic hypothesis
The experimental testing of the ionic hypothesis
Membrane structure and permeability
5 The Action Potential and the Activation of Muscle
The sodium hypothesis
Testing of the sodium hypothesisNa
Membrane circuitry
Evocation of the action potential
6 Electrical Activity and Electrochemistry of Invertebrate Skeletal Muscle
Introduction
Nematodes
Annelids
Arachnids
Crustaceans
Insects
Echinoderms
7 Electrical Activity of Invertebrate and Vertebrate Cardiac Muscle
Myogenic hearts
Tunicates
Insects
Molluscs
The vertebrates
Birds
Mammals
Annelids
Crustaceae
Arachnids
The electrochemistry of cardiac muscle
The resting potential
The action potential
8 The Electrical Activity and Electrochemistry of Visceral Muscle
Introduction
The resting potential
The action potential
The innervation, neural control and pharmacology of vertebrate visceral muscle
Innervation, neural control and pharmacology of invertebrate visceral muscle
The electrochemistry of visceral muscle
Section 3. The Mechanical Activity of Muscle
Introduction
9 The Mechanics of Muscle
10 Excitation-Contraction Coupling and Relaxation
Disruption and modification of EC coupling
A Short Glossary of Fine Structural and Physiological
Terminology
References
Author Index
Subject Index
Other Titles in the Zoology Division