THE GREAT BLUNDER: LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE – MUSCLES ELECTRICALLY STUDING
Muscles were studied electrically and under the electron microscope to determine their extraordinary functions. Nowadays, of course, there are more sophisticated methods of analysis and study. In the past, muscle 'contractions' were studied with the electrical impulses applied to them. Weights were placed to see if their length or their tone remained constant (isometric or isotonic contractions). The electron microscopic studies were used to study their structure (or morphology). Thus slow-, intermediate- and fast-twitching muscles were discovered. These muscles differ from each other structurally, as we have seen, in that they can contain different quantities of mitochondria, blood vessels and myoglobin. Their structural differences determine their endurance and their locations in the body depend on what work they are expected to perform. Thus spinal muscles are redder (as they have more blood and myoglobin) and they consist of slow-twitching muscles. Therefore they can contract for a long time without getting fatigued so easily. The muscles of the legs are paler in colour as they are expected to work fast and intensively. They get tired quite easily. That is because they have fewer mitochondria or less blood supply and depend on an anaerobic conversion of glucose that leads to lactic acid formation. All these discoveries were very exact and helped to understand why different muscles function differently.
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