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On the branching of motoneurons
Author(s) -
Morgan David L.,
Proske Uwe
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4598(200103)24:3<372::aid-mus1008>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - branching (polymer chemistry) , motor unit , anatomy , nerve conduction velocity , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Innervation ratios were estimated for motor units supplying superficial lumbrical muscles of the cat after assigning units to one of three types, FF/FI, FR, and S, and estimating their axonal conduction velocity, based on published data. Similarly, unit tensions were converted to muscle fiber number using published values for specific tension and fiber cross‐sectional area. A relation was established between axonal area of cross‐section and number of fibers innervated which was matched reasonably well by a model of a branching motoneuron with preterminal diameter of 4.28 μm and a daughter‐to‐parent ratio of 1.48 at each level of branching. It is proposed that the main features of the model are likely to apply to all motoneurons. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 372–379, 2001