Integrated Muscle-Tendon Function in Frog Jumping

青蛙跳中的综合肌肉肌腱功能

• 批准号: 0642428
• 负责人: Thomas Roberts
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-04-01 至 2011-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0642428&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Integrated; Muscle; Tendon; Function; Frog

Biomechanical studies of frog jumping have the potential to provided key insights into the mechanical design of the vertebrate musculoskeletal system. Frogs launch themselves into the air with a burst of mechanical power that is truly remarkable. In many species, the peak power produced in a jump greatly exceeds the power-producing capacity of skeletal muscle. It has been proposed that this discrepancy is explained by an elastic mechanism that amplifies muscle power, but this mechanism has not been observed directly and it is not well understood. A better understanding of the interaction between power-producing muscles and the action of elastic elements in frog jumping may help define rules that govern the complementary function of muscles and tendons in locomotion. In this project, the elastic mechanism used in jumping will be investigated with a number of biomechanical techniques. It is expected that dynamic changes in muscle lever arms, as defined by skeletal lever systems, play a critical role in facilitating the effective storage and release of energy in elastic tendons. The hypothesis that the elastic stretch and recoil of tendons improves muscle performance by uncoupling muscle fascicle shortening from movements of the body will also be tested. This work has the potential to provide fundamental insights into how the conservative properties of vertebrate skeletal muscle may have shaped the mechanical design of tendons, bones and locomotor posture in terrestrial vertebrates. The broader impacts of this project include the participation of local area high school teachers in the research project. During seven-week internships in the laboratory, teachers will use their research experience to develop course modules and curricular enhancements to help bring the excitement of research back to the classroom. This project will also include the training of graduate students and postdoctoral associates, and represents an integration of Biology and Engineering principles.

蛙跳的生物力学研究有可能为脊椎动物肌肉骨骼系统的机械设计提供关键的见解。 青蛙用一股机械力把自己发射到空中，这真是了不起。 在许多物种中，跳跃产生的峰值功率大大超过骨骼肌的功率产生能力。 有人提出，这种差异是由一种弹性机制，放大肌肉力量，但这种机制还没有被直接观察到，它不是很好地理解。 更好地理解蛙跳中产生动力的肌肉和弹性元件之间的相互作用，可能有助于定义运动中肌肉和肌腱互补功能的规则。 在这个项目中，将用一些生物力学技术来研究跳跃中使用的弹性机制。 预计肌肉杠杆臂的动态变化，如骨骼杠杆系统所定义的，在促进弹性肌腱中能量的有效储存和释放方面起着关键作用。 肌腱的弹性拉伸和回缩通过将肌肉束缩短与身体运动解耦来提高肌肉性能的假设也将被测试。 这项工作有可能提供基本的见解，如何保守的脊椎动物骨骼肌的属性可能已经形成的机械设计的肌腱，骨骼和运动姿态在陆生脊椎动物。 该项目的更广泛影响包括当地高中教师参与研究项目。 在实验室为期七周的实习期间，教师将利用他们的研究经验开发课程模块和课程改进，以帮助将研究的兴奋带回课堂。 该项目还将包括研究生和博士后的培训，并代表了生物学和工程原理的整合。