Skeletal Muscle System Lab Report

Hannah Hux
Introduction
This lab report will focus on the skeletal muscle system and how it functions by
contracting the muscle. The skeletal muscle contracts due to the two proteins, actin and
myosin. The actin filaments twist together and slide over the myosin filaments. The
myosin then binds to the actin causing it to contract. While performing an experiment an
ATP and salt solution was dropped onto a striation of rabbit muscle. Prior to the ATP
and salt solution being dropped onto the muscle during the experiment the muscle was
measured to be 6mm long. After the ATP and salt solution was applied to the rabbit
muscle the muscle shrunk 33% causing it to become 4mm long. In figure 1A you can
see the long, flowy striations before the ATP and salt solution was applied. In figure 1B
you can see how the ATP and salt solution affected the striations after being applied
causing them to contract and appear bunched up. A problem with having good
evidence may be that it may appear to be accurate when in reality it isnt even though it
appears to be so. One experimenter may put more solution on their striations than
another or they may have used a different level of zoom on their microscope. In a lab
studying mink muscles, it was observed that the mink muscles would contract the same
as the rabbit muscle if the minks were alive.

Figure 1A. Rabbit skeletal muscle histology before ATP & salt solution. The striations
are straight and are thick. 100x. Photo by author.
 Figure 1B. Rabbit skeletal muscle histology after ATP & salt solution. After the
application of ATP & the salt solution, the striations shortened by 33.33% in length and
became skinnier by 50%. 100x. Photo by author.

Table 1.
Trials Length of Length of Change in % Width of Width of Change in %
myofibers myofibers length of contraction myofiber myofiber width of contraction
before after ATP degree s before s after degree
ATP solution contraction ATP ATP contraction
solution solution solution

Trial 6mm 4mm 2mm 33.33% 1mm 1/2mm 1/2mm 50%

1

Trial 6mm 4mm 2mm 33.33% 1mm 1/2mm 1/2mm 50%

2
Figure 2A. Head and neck muscles of a mink. Photo by author.

.
Figure 2B. Top view of the head and neck muscles of a mink. Photo by author.
Figure 3A. Trunk and shoulder muscles of a mink. Photo by author.

Figure 3B. Superior view of shoulder and trunk muscles of a mink. Photo by author.
Figure 4A. Mink arm muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 4B. Mink arm muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 4C. Brachioradialis. Photo by author.

Figure 5A. Mink hip/leg muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5B. Mink leg muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5C. Mink leg muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5D. Medial mink leg muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5E. Mink leg muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5F. Mink hip muscles. Photo by author.

Figure 5G. Mink lateral leg muscles. Photo by author.