HOW MUSCLE MAY CONTRACT

A new molecular model is proposed for muscle contraction, that involve s the electrical charging of the long (C-terminal) alpha-helical part of the head of the myosin molecule (S1) while the head is attached to actin; as it charges the alpha-helical part moves in the radial electr ic field between the filaments. The alpha-helical part snaps back when the myosin molecule is discharged electrically, at the moment that AT P binds to the active enzymatic site. This snap-back model explains se veral puzzling phenomena in contractility, as well as providing a phys ical explanation for the origin of an impulsive force that drives musc le contraction.