Introduction to Smooth Muscle Mechanics

This is an introductory level textbook for students who are interested in understanding mechanical properties of smooth muscle, a vital tissue that is instrumental in many organ functions such as blood pressure control, intestinal peristalsis, and emptying of a bladder. Dysfunction of the muscle has been implicated in many diseases such as high blood pressure, asthma, and overactive bladders. This is the first book-length treatment of functional models of a variety of smooth muscle behaviors with mathematical description. No prior knowledge of muscle physiology is required. An easy-to-follow, step-by-step mathematical derivation helps students to appreciate the muscle cell as a fine-tuned aggregate of mechanisms governed by fundamental laws of physics. This book is useful for students and researchers in life sciences who are interested in the basic mechanism of muscle contraction or who simply use the tissue as a tool in their investigation. Besides a detailed description of the known subcellular structure and mechanical function of the contractile apparatus of smooth muscle, it also covers experimentation techniques, instrumentation, and data analysis, a must-have information source for anyone interested in smooth muscle cell physiology....