Heart Contraction
Heart Contraction - Related Videos
10:39
Automated Contraction Analysis of Human Engineered Heart Tissue for Cardiac Drug Safety Screening
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Cited by 38 •
2017
Here, we show the generation of human engineered heart tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes. We present a method to analyze contraction force and exemplary alteration of contraction pattern by the hERG channel inhibitor E-4031. This method shows high level of robustness and suitability for cardiac drug screening.
12:10
Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts
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Cited by 108 •
2009
We have developed a Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis method (SOHA) for analyzing high speed optical recordings from Drosophila, zebrafish and embryonic mouse hearts. We demonstrate the application of our methodology to the analysis of heart function in fruit fly and embryonic mouse hearts.
01:15
Muscle Contraction
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2025
In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor end plate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. Binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...
01:10
Muscle Contraction
0 Views •
2023
In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor endplate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. The binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...
02:08
Assessing Muscle Contraction with Neuromuscular Blocker Treatment
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2025
This video demonstrates assessing the muscle using cultured motor neurons, Schwann cells, and myotubes, followed by treatment with a neuromuscular blocker to inhibit contraction. Color-coded time-motion graphics show a color-coded time-motion graphic. Red indicates the fastest movement, and blue indicates the slowest.
FAQs
Pacemaker cells initiate the electrical impulse that begins each cardiac cycle. The conduction system distributes this signal through the heart, coordinating activation of cardiac muscle rather than allowing contractions to occur independently. This organized propagation links electrical activity to the pumping pattern needed for pulmonary and systemic circulation.
Calcium entry and release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum raise the calcium available to cardiac muscle, enabling actin and myosin to interact. Relaxation requires calcium removal, so contraction depends not only on calcium mobilization but also on its subsequent clearance. This coupling provides a mechanistic basis for studying altered myocardial function.
Alternating activity between the atria and ventricles helps preserve the direction of blood movement through the pulmonary and systemic circulations. The sequence also supports adequate tissue perfusion by coordinating when different cardiac chambers contract and relax. Disruption of this timing can therefore be examined in relation to abnormal cardiac rhythms.
Electrocardiography provides a research approach for examining the electrical activity associated with heart contraction. Because impulses begin in pacemaker cells and travel through the conduction system, electrical patterns can be considered alongside mechanical pumping. This connection helps investigators study normal rhythm and investigate rhythm disorders.
Heart contraction influences cardiac output because the pumping cycle determines how effectively blood is moved through the pulmonary and systemic circulations. Studying the relationship between contraction, relaxation, and tissue perfusion helps researchers connect cardiac mechanics with the delivery of blood required by tissues and with disorders that impair myocardial function.
Research on heart contraction supports evaluation of cardiovascular drugs and therapies intended to improve myocardial function. The same framework is relevant to heart failure, where impaired myocardial performance becomes a central concern. Linking electrical activation, calcium handling, and mechanical activity helps organize investigations of potential treatments and their effects on cardiac pumping.