The Pattern of Activation in the Sartorius Muscle of the Frog

The development of isometric twitch tension has been compared with the redevelopment of isometric tension in the fully active frog sartorius muscle following release. At 0 degrees C the rate of rise of isometric twitch tension is the same as that for the muscle in the fully active state at the same tension but not until about 40 msec. after the stimulus and then only for a few milliseconds. The rates of rise of tension in the twitch and in the redevelopment of tension in the fully active muscle appear to be nearly the same at low tensions. Substitution of nitrate for chloride in the Ringer's solution bathing the muscle retards the development of tension during the early part of the contraction phase of the twitch and the effect reaches a maximum within 3 minutes after changing the solutions. These observations have been discussed in connection with some possible patterns of activation and the hypothesis has been advanced that the rate of activation of a sarcomere is determined mainly by the rate at which the transverse component of the link between excitation and contraction is propagated inwards from the periphery to the center of the fiber. This hypothesis has been discussed in relation to others concerning the nature of excitation-contraction coupling.