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Aim
The aim of this chapter is to study the various mechanical properties of
cardiac muscle.
Introduction
In the laboratory, the preparation that is usually used for this experiment is
the frog heart. Although structurally the frog heart is very different from that
of the mammalian heart, in terms of function, the frog heart and the
mammalian heart have very similar properties.
The anatomy of the frog heart is shown in Fig. 7A. Unlike the mammalian
heart, the frog heart is made up of only 3 chambers - two atria and one
ventricle. Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium from the sinus
venosus, while the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary
vein. Although the ventricle is not divided into two by a septum, folds found
within the ventricle tend to separate the deoxygenated blood from the
oxygenated blood, so that the blood can be channelled into the pulmonary
artery and aorta, respectively.
Similar to the mammalian heart, the frog heart also beats sPontaneously and
an
rhythmically. The heartbeat of the frog d other cold-blooded animals arises
from the sinus venosus, a structure that is equivalent to the sinoatrial node
found in mammalian species. In other words, the cardiac pacemaker of the
frog heart is located in the sinus venosus. Similar to the mammalian heart,
the number of impulses that arises from the pacemaker in the sinus venosus
is influenced by sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, temperature,
chemical agents and other factors.
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Procedure
This experiment can be performed in groups of 4 to 8 students. The spinal
cord of the frog is first pithed and destroyed. The frog is subsequently laid out
prone on a wax tray and the knee pinned to the wax. The thorax is cut to
expose the heart. The connective tissue is teased away and the heart
isolated. The isolated heart is kept moist with Ringer solution to prevent
drying.
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stimulation, adjust any of the parameters of strength, duration or
frequency, and repeat the stimulation.
C. Effect of Temperature
Prepare a beaker each of cold (10°C, chilled in ice) and warm (40°C,
heated) Ringer solution. Obtain a few normal heart beats. Then, using
the Pasteur pipette, add cold Ringer solution on to the heart drop by
drop. Label the recording "Effect of cold Ringer" and observe the effect
of cold Ringer solution on the heart rate and amplitude of contraction.
Wash the heart with normal Ringer solution several times and allow the
heart rate to return to normal.
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Repeat the same procedure with adrenaline (0.1 mg/ml) and
acetylcholine (1 mg/ml).
The hierarchy of the conduction system of the heart is such that the
node or tissue that discharges with the highest rate becomes the
pacemaker. This can be demonstrated by Stannius Ligatures (Fig. 7C).
Bathe the heart with Ringer solution and allow the heart rate to return
to normal. Using a pair of fine forceps, pass a piece of thread through
the space between the sinus venosus and right atrium (Fig. 7C), draw
the ends of the thread together and then make a loose knot (First
Stannius Ligature).
Then, pass another piece of thread between the atria and the ventricle
and make another loose knot (Second Stannius Ligature).
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Next, tighten the Second Stannius Ligature so that the atria are
isolated from the ventricle and observe the effect on the heart rate.
Compare the sequence of contraction between the sinus venosus, right
atrium and ventricle after the Second Stannius Ligature.