ISSN:
1089-7623
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
Since the early work of Huxley and collaborators [H. E. Huxley, A. R. Faruqui, J. Bordas, M. H. J. Koch, and J. R. Milch, Nature 284, 5752, 140 (1980)], time-resolved x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation has provided and continues to provide unique information on the structural dynamics of muscle, thus addressing the fundamental question of how chemical energy is transformed into motion. While considerable progress has been made in improving data collection procedures, relatively little progress has taken place in the development of computational methods with which to interpret the large amounts of structural and functional information contained in the experimental data. Given the characteristics of the structure of muscle this poses a considerable computational challenge since realistic models of the molecular components making up the muscle fibres require extensive algorithms and computational resources. We present here a progress report on our work on this topic and describe some of the algorithmic aspects of muscle modeling as a dynamic structure and we show how visualization techniques are used to check the effect of different factors. We also describe briefly some of the insights we have gained from the modeling procedures and "theoretical experiments,'' and the current model that fits qualitatively the main features in the experimental pattern.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1142628
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