Extensive and intensive factors determining the performance of striated muscle

Abstract

Striated muscle is obviously a versatile tissue, one which has been malleable to selective pressure and has become modified for many specific tasks. The variations which adapt striated muscle to particular functions involve both changes in its structural organization and changes in the chemical nature of its components. Although a number of factors have been identified which contribute to the diversity of muscle performance, it is not yet possible to account adequately for the wide range in muscle performance throughout the animal kingdom. While not a new direction in comparative physiology, developing quantitative explanations for the diversity of muscle performance is still an obvious, remaining task.