Physics in muscle research

Muscle is one of few organs whose performance can be measured by physical quantities. However, very few attempts have been made to apply theoretical physics to muscle. In this paper we will see how physical principles can be applied by taking advantage of unique properties of muscle structure. The first topic is to establish the stability conditions of sarcomere structure. The conclusions are then compared to some experimental facts. Next, we move on to the field theory fundamentals. The concept of energy density as a stress tensor is shown to be a powerful tool for the dielectric force theory to understand how proteins move under electric fields. By combining the structural stability theory and the dielectric force theory we arrive at a helical dipole array. We discuss the source of strong dipole fields and how the dipole strength could be controlled by Ca ions. The behavior of water and ions under electric fields is briefly discussed. The third topic is the mechanical stiffness of muscle in longitudinal and lateral directions. Some experimental data are shown and the physics of anisotropic stiffness is discussed. An appendix is provided to explain the pitfalls of experimenting with isolated components rather than organized structures (sarcomere).