Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are  scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The  X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
X-ray Crystallography02:18

X-ray Crystallography

The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Determination of Crystal Structures01:29

Determination of Crystal Structures

In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The electrokymograph: an apparatus for recording motion (for example, that of the heart shadow border).

Federation proceedings·2010
Same author

Loss of righting reflexes in experimental cerebral concussion.

Federation proceedings·2010
Same author

X-ray diffraction studies on gallstones.

Federation proceedings·2010
Same author

Ultraspectrographic studies on cerebrospinal fluid.

Confinia neurologica·2010
Same author

Cerebrospinal fluid.

Progress in neurology and psychiatry·2010
Same author

Cerebral concussion; histochemical demonstration of nucleases in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Archives of pathology·2010
Same journal

Conformational changes upon pore blocker removal reveal conductive states of TMEM16A.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same journal

On the mechanism of hypomagnesemia with treatment-resistant seizures caused by variants of the Na+,K+-ATPase α1 subunit (ATP1A1).

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same journal

Label-free real-time imaging of mitochondrial matrix volume changes and permeability transition in living cells.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same journal

Differential regulation of β1-dependent voltage shifts and kinetic modulation by an extracellular glutamate in NaV1.6 VSDIV.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same journal

Mechanistic insights into DCPIB inhibition of VRAC: Electrostatic control and binding plasticity.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
Same journal

An epilepsy-associated KV3.1 potassium channel variant acts via dominant-positive effect.

The Journal of general physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

X-ray Diffraction of Intact Murine Skeletal Muscle as a Tool for Studying the Structural Basis of Muscle Disease
08:26

X-ray Diffraction of Intact Murine Skeletal Muscle as a Tool for Studying the Structural Basis of Muscle Disease

Published on: July 18, 2019

X-RAY DIFFRACTION STUDIES ON FROG MUSCLES.

M Spiegel-Adolf1, G C Henny, E W Ashkenaz

  • 1Departments of Colloid Chemistry and Physics, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

X-ray diffraction studies reveal that muscle orientation is sensitive to stretching, heat, electrical stimulation, and chemical treatments. These factors alter muscle structure, affecting water binding and membrane permeability, with changes often being irreversible.

More Related Videos

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis
08:12

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis

Published on: December 1, 2023

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
14:02

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles

Published on: November 1, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

X-ray Diffraction of Intact Murine Skeletal Muscle as a Tool for Studying the Structural Basis of Muscle Disease
08:26

X-ray Diffraction of Intact Murine Skeletal Muscle as a Tool for Studying the Structural Basis of Muscle Disease

Published on: July 18, 2019

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis
08:12

Intact Short, Intermediate, and Long Skeletal Muscle Fibers Obtained by Enzymatic Dissociation of Six Hindlimb Muscles of Mice: Beyond Flexor Digitorum Brevis

Published on: December 1, 2023

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
14:02

Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles

Published on: November 1, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Muscle physiology
  • Biophysics
  • Structural biology

Background:

  • X-ray diffraction is a powerful technique for elucidating the molecular structure of biological materials.
  • Muscle structure and function are intricately linked, with changes in physical and chemical conditions potentially altering their organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of various physical and chemical stimuli on the X-ray diffraction patterns of frog sartorius muscles.
  • To understand how stretching, temperature, electrical stimulation, and chemical agents influence muscle structural organization and water content.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a novel X-ray diffraction camera allowing for controlled muscle stimulation (isotonic/isometric) and observation.
  • Analyzed diffraction patterns from moist and dried muscles under various experimental conditions, including stretching, heating, electrical stimulation, and exposure to different chemical solutions.
  • Performed statistical analysis to quantify changes in diffraction spacings and orientation.

Main Results:

  • Stretching below the breaking point induced a new diffraction line (4.32 A.u.), similar to frog tendon.
  • Heat and electrical stimulation (if shortening allowed) disrupted muscle orientation, with some changes being irreversible.
  • Chemical treatments (salts, acids, alkalies, alcohol, chloroform, caffeine) altered diffraction patterns, affecting orientation, water rings, and membrane permeability, often in concentration-dependent and irreversible ways.

Conclusions:

  • Muscle structural organization, as revealed by X-ray diffraction, is highly sensitive to mechanical, thermal, electrical, and chemical perturbations.
  • Changes in muscle structure under these conditions can lead to altered water binding and increased membrane permeability.
  • Many of the observed structural changes are irreversible, highlighting the delicate nature of muscle tissue organization.