Outline Review of Muscle Contraction – From AP generation to contraction of fibers – Muscle proprioceptors (spindles and Golgi tendons) – Afferent and efferent axons
Robot / Human Comparisons (how inhumane) Table I presents some of the elements of robotic and animal movement systems neatly compared for your viewing pleasure. Table I. Comparison of Movement Control Systems in the Robot and Human
Early Ideas about Muscular Contraction Hippocrates thought that the tendons caused the body to move (he confused tendons with nerves, and in fact used the same word, neuron, for both)
Principal Aim To assess the strength changes, and associated change in fracture risk, due to structural alterations in the proximal femora of astronauts experiencing longterm weightlessness
Skeletal Consequences of Spaceflight Background Early flights: very little idea of physiological changes to expect -big concerns: respiration, cardiovascular -bone probably wasn't a serious consideration What has been learned in the past 37 years of human spaceflight?