Micro-mechanical model of muscle contraction

Abstract

A mathematical model of skeletal muscle contraction based on two recent single myosin molecule experiments is proposed. The model is developed in the framework of the flashing Brownian ratchets. The model is able to reproduce the behaviour of the muscle, in its short time scale, related to the power stroke, and in its long time scale, related to the actin-myosin cycle. The response of the model is analysed by a stochastic simulation of the Langevin equations associated to a population of parallel distributed myosin heads. © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.