ISSN:
0362-2525
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
The architectural and histochemical properties of the anatomically distinct compartments of the semitendinosus muscle (ST) of mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits show that the ST is composed of two separate compartments aligned in series - a destal compartment (STd) and a proximal one (STp). The STp is further subdivided into a ventral head (STpv) and a dorsal head (STpd). The muscle fibers were arranged in parallel to the line of muscle pull within each compartment. The STd has the longest and the STpv the shortest fibers in all species. The physiological cross-sectional area and the estimated tetanic tension was greatest in the STd. Based on the staining pattern for myosin ATPase (alkaline preincubation) and an oxidative indicator (NADH or SDH), the STpv has the highest percentage of slow-oxidative (SO) or SO plus fast-oxidative-glycolytic (FOG) fibers of any portion of the muscle. The differences in fiber-type distributions and architectural designs of the separate compartments suggest a specialization of function of the individual compartments.
Additional Material:
1 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmor.1051810204
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