Abstract
AbstractThe tension developed in the isolated frog muscle spindle during stretch has been studied and related to the impulse response and the isolated receptor potential of the spindle. With a steplike stretch tension rose to an initial peak and then declined towards a steady level. The decay consisted of an initial phase of rapid fall and a later phase of slow decline when stretch was prolonged. The magnitude of the peak and the static level of tension were exponential functions of the amount of stretch. The response of the spindle in terms of the impulse discharge and the isolated receptor potential closely followed the tension changes during various phases of stretch. Adaptation of the spindle to maintained stretch, in terms of the fall of the receptor potential, followed the same general time course as the decay in tension. The results suggest that tension during stretch reflects structural changes within the spindle and that these changes may bear a more direct relation to the sensory response than lengthening. Neither the gross tension nor the elongation ran, however, be regarded as a dirert representation of the actual stimulus to the endings.
Published Version
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