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

Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles01:20

Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles

Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
When an action potential...
Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles01:27

Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles

The primary role of cardiac muscles is to propel blood throughout the cardiovascular system. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, exhibit specialized characteristics that allow them to perform this function.
Cardiac muscle cells are smaller than skeletal muscles, averaging 10–20 mm in diameter and 50–100 mm in length. However, they have large energy demands for continuous contraction and relaxation. This energy is almost exclusively derived from aerobic metabolism of energy reserves in...
Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles01:29

Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles

The period of muscle contraction primarily influences the duration of stimulation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the presence of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the availability of energy or ATP to support contractions.
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it depolarizes the membrane and opens voltage-gated sodium channels. Sodium ions enter the cell, further depolarizing the presynaptic membrane. This depolarization causes voltage-gated calcium channels to open.
Cross-bridge Cycle01:26

Cross-bridge Cycle

As muscle contracts, the overlap between the thin and thick filaments increases, decreasing the length of the sarcomere—the contractile unit of the muscle—using energy in the form of ATP. At the molecular level, this is a cyclic, multistep process that involves binding and hydrolysis of ATP, and movement of actin by myosin.
Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm01:19

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Integrated multi-omics mapping of mitochondrial dysfunction and substrate preference in Barth syndrome cardiac tissue.

EMBO molecular medicine·2025
Same author

Assessment of Contractile and Kinetic Properties of Skeletal and Cardiac Multicellular Preparations in Mouse Models: A Comprehensive Methodological Guide.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025
Same author

Comprehensive Proteomic Profiling of Human Myocardium Reveals Signaling Pathways Dysregulated in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology·2024
Same author

Maternal Body Mass Index, Myometrium Contractility and Uterotonic Receptor Expression in Pregnancy.

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)·2024
Same author

Structure of mavacamten-free human cardiac thick filaments within the sarcomere by cryoelectron tomography.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024
Same author

Altering Calcium Sensitivity in Heart Failure: A Crossroads of Disease Etiology and Therapeutic Innovation.

International journal of molecular sciences·2023
Same journal

Interplay of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Mechanisms in Doxorubicin-induced Cardiomyopathy.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Impact of moderate isocapnic hyperthermia on dynamic cerebral autoregulation and its directional sensitivity.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Repetitive Pressure Overload; Species Disparities, Mechanisms and Translational Relevance.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

SIRT2-mediated regulation of glycolytic flux: Another brick in the wall of Gary Lopaschuk's legacy in cardiac metabolism.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Tailored anesthesia protocols for echo-based HFpEF phenotyping in C57BL6/N mice.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
Same journal

Desmoglein-2 Deficiency Drives Mitochondrial Morphological Remodeling in Cardiomyocytes.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling
08:29

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling

Published on: August 1, 2016

Myocardial contraction-relaxation coupling.

Paul M L Janssen1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology and D. Davis Heart Lung Institute, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1218, USA. janssen.10@osu.edu

American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|September 21, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cardiac muscle contraction is complex due to dynamic, non-equilibrium parameters. This review uses new tools to study cardiac muscle relaxation, focusing on the interplay of governing factors.

More Related Videos

Mechanical Control of Relaxation Using Intact Cardiac Trabeculae
07:51

Mechanical Control of Relaxation Using Intact Cardiac Trabeculae

Published on: February 17, 2023

Contractility Measurements on Isolated Papillary Muscles for the Investigation of Cardiac Inotropy in Mice
06:22

Contractility Measurements on Isolated Papillary Muscles for the Investigation of Cardiac Inotropy in Mice

Published on: September 17, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling
08:29

Assessment of Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity Underlying Cardiac Excitation-contraction Coupling

Published on: August 1, 2016

Mechanical Control of Relaxation Using Intact Cardiac Trabeculae
07:51

Mechanical Control of Relaxation Using Intact Cardiac Trabeculae

Published on: February 17, 2023

Contractility Measurements on Isolated Papillary Muscles for the Investigation of Cardiac Inotropy in Mice
06:22

Contractility Measurements on Isolated Papillary Muscles for the Investigation of Cardiac Inotropy in Mice

Published on: September 17, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Physiology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Cardiac muscle contraction is a vital yet incompletely understood physiological process.
  • Diseases of the heart are a leading cause of death, driving clinical research.
  • The dynamic and non-equilibrium nature of cardiac contraction complicates traditional study methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To revisit governing factors of cardiac muscle relaxation.
  • To apply novel tools and protocols to isolated cardiac muscle tissue.
  • To investigate the dynamic interactions influencing cardiac contraction and relaxation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing newly developed tools and protocols.
  • Studying isolated cardiac muscle tissue.
  • Analyzing dynamic interactions between contraction and relaxation parameters.

Main Results:

  • The review revisits governing factors of cardiac muscle relaxation.
  • New tools enable the study of dynamic interactions in cardiac muscle.
  • The interplay of factors influencing contraction and relaxation is explored.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding cardiac muscle contraction requires addressing its dynamic, non-equilibrium nature.
  • Novel methodologies are crucial for deciphering the complexities of cardiac function.
  • Further research into cardiac muscle relaxation dynamics is warranted.