Animal electricity, Ca2+ and muscle contraction. A brief history of muscle research.
This brief review attempts to summarize some of the major phases of muscle research from Leeuwenhoek's description of sarcomeres in 1674, through Galvani's observation of "animal electricity" in 1791, to the discovery of Ca2+ as the key messenger in the coupling of nerve excitation to muscle contraction. The emerging molecular mechanism of the contraction process is one of the great achievements of biology, reflecting the intimate links between physics, chemistry and the life Sciences in the solution of biological problems.
Martonosi
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Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Health Science Center at Syracuse, State University of New York, 13210-2339, USA. martonoa@mail.upstate.edu
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000266:history* / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000266:history / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000266:history; D015870:Gene Expression; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014336:Troponin / Q000266:history / Q000502:physiology
D014336:Troponin; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D002118:Calcium