Thixotropy: the effect of stretch size in relaxed frog muscle.
Small forces were applied to isolated frog muscle; the resulting displacements were used to calculate muscle stiffness (elastic modulus, E). Stiffness is much greater for small forces within the range of the Short Range Elastic Component (SREC; Hill, 1968). 'Stirring' the muscle greatly reduces the stiffness, but only when the applied force is small. Stiffness subsequently returns to its original level. This strongly suggests that muscle thixotropy (Lakie, Walsh & Wright, 1984) is a property of the SREC.
Lakie
M
M
Department of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of St Andrews, Fife.
Robson
L G
LG
D000818:Animals; D004548:Elasticity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009126:Muscle Relaxation; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D011896:Rana temporaria