The functional organisation of the motor units of the diaphragm

Abstract

The object of the present investigation—carried out with electrophysiological methods—was to analyse the general principles underlying the cooperative action of the motor units of the diaphragm during quiet and forcible breathing in the rabbit. The experiments were designed to determine the relation between the inspiratory discharge patterns of the motor units and a) the time interval between the corresponding nerve and muscle impulses, b) the spatial arrangement of the motor subunits within the diaphragmatic sector studied (sternal part), and c) the tension developed by the inspiratory contractions of this strip under auxotonic conditions.