The mechanism for vertebrate striated muscle contraction

Abstract

More than 20 years have elapsed since A.F. Huxley and Niedergerke and H.E. Huxley and Hanson proposed the sliding filament theory for striated muscle contraction. Since that time, an enormous amount of work has been done in this field using diverse biophysical, biochemical, physiological, and theoretical techniques. This review discusses the physiology of muscle contraction and is focussed on the work of Gordon, A.F. Huxley, and Julian, because the results obtained from this work provide a cornerstone for establishing the validity of the sliding filament theory.