The Planar Deformation Behavior of Skinned Striated Muscle Fibers

Abstract

The osmotically produced planar deformation behavior of skinned striated muscle fibers (smectic B, lattice microstructure) is investigated using light microscopy and compared with analogous results determined using x-ray diffraction. The nonlinear pressure-volume relationship measured using light microscopy is shown to be essentially the same as that resultant of similar experiments using x-ray diffraction. The application of a continuum analysis based on the Murnaghan equation of state to this deformation behavior is examined. The Murnaghan equation is shown to approximate well the nonlinear planar deformation behavior of these muscle fibers.