Skeletal Muscle System Lab Report

Julia Harwell

This lab report addresses the skeletal system, the process of muscle contraction that is
involved, and the muscles of each section of a mink.
Muscle contraction is similar throughout every human or animal even though the muscles
are varied. An example of various muscles being similar but as well as different are the minks
muscles which gave a macroscopic view. Which have been isolated, separated, and studied the
past few weeks.(see figure 2a-2d) Even though we did not get to study their very own muscle
contraction, the process is very close to a rabbit muscle if not the same. The process of muscle
contraction can be explained in a complicated 12 steps or as well as 7 simple steps. During this
recent lab which gave us a microscopic view of muscles, each member of the class got the
opportunity to observe a rabbit psoas muscle contract (see figure 1a). While viewing the process
of muscle contraction, when the ATP+Salt was dropped on the rabbit muscle, the muscle fiber
moved around quickly. A better description would be that it was swimming through the
ATP+Salt and glycerol. When moving back to the screen or the microscope, the cells were
bunching up or wrinkling.(see figure 1b) Measurements had already been taken before the
solution was added, so therefor measurements were taken after. Most of the before and after
measurements were similar, not much had changed. On one of my fibers, the length was 72mm
and then contracted to 65 mm which gave a 90.25% contraction, but the width was 10mm and
grew to 15mm giving a 150% contraction.(see table 1) The next trial was very similar. This lab
had many variables and of course things that did not go as planned. Some problems were the
fibers getting very chopped up from being rough while trying to separate each. If the lab could be
performed again, the best thing that could happen is making sure you only have one solid fiber,
so that it would be very evident which one is being used and the difference is actually real. Also
measuring on a different scale would definitely be taken in consideration like using a string to
measure the curve or a protractor for an angle measurement. The lab thats shown below was not
as informative as wished, but there was a change that was shown. The muscle contraction was a
sight to see, but yet it is very difficult to show proof of.
Figure 1a. Rabbit Psoas Muscle Before ATP+Salt Solution. Identified a Rabbit Psoas muscle and
then picked one up to put on a slide. Separated the cells or fibers from that muscle to get it down
to only a few. Then put the slide underneath a microscope in 100X. Looked at the muscle to
identify how many fibers there were and just examined the fibers as well as possible. When
ready, added one drop of ATP+Salt to the slide and waited for 30 seconds to about a minute.
Photo taken by author
Figure 1b. Rabbit Psoas Muscle After ATP+Salt Solution. Under a microscope in 100x. After the
solution was added, it was time to reexamine the muscle and youd see the difference. Photo
taken by author.

Table 1.Rabbit Psoas Muscle Data Table. When looking at the before and after pictures, the
difference is noticeable. Using a ruler with millimeters, measured the width and length of the
before and after of the fibers which are in the table. With those numbers, found the difference
and the percentage of the muscle contracting through math.
Rabbit Psoas Muscle

Before ATP After ATP- Initial - Percent

Rotated 40 Contracted
degrees

72 mm 65 mm 72-65= 7 90.27%
Length
54 mm 50 mm 54-50= 4 92.59%

10 mm 15 mm 10-15= -5 150%
Width
18 mm 26 mm 19-26 = -8 144.44%
Figure 2a. Mink Arm Muscles labeled. Photo taken by Alexis Magre
Figure 2b. Mink Trunk and Shoulders Muscles labeled. Photo taken by Alexis Magre
Figure 2c. Mink Head and Neck Muscles labeled. Photo taken by Alexis Magre
Figure 2d. Mink Hip and Leg Muscles labeled. Photo taken by Alexis Magre