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TEACHING WITH CLASSIC PAPERS

Teaching from classic papers: Hill's model of muscle contraction

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. W. Holmes, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, ET 351, Columbia Univ., MC 8904, 1210 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027 (e-mail: jh553{at}columbia.edu)

Abstract

A. V. Hill's 1938 paper "The heat of shortening and the dynamic constants of muscle" is an enduring classic, presenting detailed methods, meticulous experiments, and the model of muscle contraction that now bears Hill's name. Pairing a simulation based on Hill's model with a reading of his paper allows students to follow his thought process to discover key principles of muscle physiology and gain insight into how to develop quantitative models of physiological processes. In this article, the experience of the author using this approach in a graduate biomedical engineering course is outlined, along with suggestions for adapting this approach to other audiences.

Key words: striated muscle; energetics; heat production; force-velocity; education; modeling; simulation; MATLAB