Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Kinematic Evidence For Superfast Locomotory Muscle In Two Species Of Teneriffiid Mites, Grace C. Wu, Jonathan C. Wright, Dwight L. Whitaker, Anna N. Ahn
Kinematic Evidence For Superfast Locomotory Muscle In Two Species Of Teneriffiid Mites, Grace C. Wu, Jonathan C. Wright, Dwight L. Whitaker, Anna N. Ahn
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
Locomotory muscles typically operate over a narrow range of contraction frequencies, characterized by the predominant fiber types and functional roles. The highest documented frequencies in the synchronous sound-producing muscles of insects (550 Hz) and toadfish (200 Hz) far exceed the contraction frequencies observed in weight-bearing locomotory muscles, which have maximum documented frequencies below 15-30 Hz. Laws of scaling, however, predict that smaller arthropods may employ stride frequencies exceeding this range. In this study we measured running speed and stride frequency in two undescribed species of teneriffiid mites from the coastal sage scrub of southern California. Relative speeds of both species …
In Situ Muscle Power Differs Without Varying In Vitro Mechanical Properties In Two Insect Leg Muscles Innervated By The Same Motor Neuron, Anna N. Ahn, Kenneth Meijer, Robert J. Full
In Situ Muscle Power Differs Without Varying In Vitro Mechanical Properties In Two Insect Leg Muscles Innervated By The Same Motor Neuron, Anna N. Ahn, Kenneth Meijer, Robert J. Full
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
The mechanical behavior of muscle during locomotion is often predicted by its anatomy, kinematics, activation pattern and contractile properties. The neuromuscular design of the cockroach leg provides a model system to examine these assumptions, because a single motor neuron innervates two extensor muscles operating at a single joint. Comparisons of the in situ measurements under in vivo running conditions of muscle 178 to a previously examined muscle (179) demonstrate that the same inputs (e.g. neural signal and kinematics) can result in different mechanical outputs. The same neural signal and kinematics, as determined during running, can result in different mechanical functions, …
Walking And Running In The Red-Legged Running Frog, Kassina Maculata, Anna N. Ahn, E Furrow, Andrew A. Biewener
Walking And Running In The Red-Legged Running Frog, Kassina Maculata, Anna N. Ahn, E Furrow, Andrew A. Biewener
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
Although most frog species are specialized for jumping or swimming, Kassina maculata (red-legged running frog) primarily uses a third type of locomotion during which the hindlimbs alternate. In the present study, we examined Kassina's distinct locomotory mode to determine whether these frogs walk or run and how their gait may change with speed. We used multiple methods to distinguish between terrestrial gaits: the existence or absence of an aerial phase, duty factor, relative footfall patterns and the mechanics of the animal's center of mass (COM). To measure kinematic and kinetic variables, we recorded digital video as the animals moved …
A Motor And A Brake: Two Leg Extensor Muscles Acting At The Same Joint Manage Energy Differently In A Running Insect, Anna N. Ahn, Robert J. Full
A Motor And A Brake: Two Leg Extensor Muscles Acting At The Same Joint Manage Energy Differently In A Running Insect, Anna N. Ahn, Robert J. Full
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
The individual muscles of a multiple muscle group at a given joint are often assumed to function synergistically to share the load during locomotion. We examined two leg extensors of a running cockroach to test the hypothesis that leg muscles within an anatomical muscle group necessarily manage (i.e. produce, store, transmit or absorb) energy similarly during running. Using electromyographic and video motion-analysis techniques, we determined that muscles 177c and 179 are both active during the first half of the stance period during muscle shortening. Using the in vivo strain and stimulation patterns determined during running, we measured muscle power output. …
Energy Absorption During Running By Leg Muscles In A Cockroach, Robert J. Full, Darrell R. Stokes, Anna N. Ahn, Robert K. Josephson
Energy Absorption During Running By Leg Muscles In A Cockroach, Robert J. Full, Darrell R. Stokes, Anna N. Ahn, Robert K. Josephson
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
Biologists have traditionally focused on a muscle's ability to generate power. By determining muscle length, strain and activation pattern in the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis, we discovered leg extensor muscles that operate as active dampers that only absorb energy during running. Data from running animals were compared with measurements of force and power production of isolated muscles studied over a range of stimulus conditions and muscle length changes. We studied the trochanter-femoral extensor muscles 137 and 179, homologous leg muscles of the mesothoracic and metathoracic legs, respectively. Because each of these muscles is innervated by a single excitatory motor axon, …
Static Forces And Moments Generated In The Insect Leg: Comparison Of A Three-Dimensional Musculo-Skeletal Computer Model With Experimental Measurements, Robert J. Full, Anna N. Ahn
Static Forces And Moments Generated In The Insect Leg: Comparison Of A Three-Dimensional Musculo-Skeletal Computer Model With Experimental Measurements, Robert J. Full, Anna N. Ahn
All HMC Faculty Publications and Research
As a first step towards the integration of information on neural control, biomechanics and isolated muscle function, we constructed a three-dimensional musculo-skeletal model of the hind leg of the death-head cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. We tested the model by measuring the maximum force generated in vivo by the hind leg of the cockroach, the coxa-femur joint angle and the position of this leg during a behavior, wedging, that was likely to require maximum torque or moment production. The product of the maximum force of the leg and its moment arm yielded a measured coxa-femur joint moment for wedging behavior. The …