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Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats

Publication ,  Journal Article
KIER, WM; SMITH, KK
Published in: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
January 1, 1985

Muscular‐hydrostats, muscular organs which lack typical systems of skeletal support, include the tongues of mammals and lizards, the arms and tentacles of cephalopod molluscs and the trunks of elephants. In this paper the means by which such organs produce elongation, shortening, bending and torsion are discussed. The most important biomechanical feature of muscular‐hydrostats is that their volume is constant, so that any decrease in one dimension will cause a compensatory increase in at least one other dimension. Elongation of a muscular‐hydrostat is produced by contraction of transverse, circular or radial muscles which decrease the cross‐section. Shortening is produced by contraction of longitudinal muscles. The relation between length and width of a constant volume structure allows amplification of muscle force or displacement in muscular‐hydrostats and other hydrostatic systems. Bending requires simultaneous contraction of longitudinal and antagonistic circular, transverse or radial muscles. In bending, one muscle mass acts as an effector of movement while the alternate muscle mass provides support for that movement. Torsion is produced by contraction of muscles which wrap the muscular‐hydrostat in a helical fashion. Copyright © 1985, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

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Published In

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

DOI

EISSN

1096-3642

ISSN

0024-4082

Publication Date

January 1, 1985

Volume

83

Issue

4

Start / End Page

307 / 324

Related Subject Headings

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 0608 Zoology
 

Citation

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KIER, W. M., & SMITH, K. K. (1985). Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 83(4), 307–324. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1985.tb01178.x
KIER, W. M., and K. K. SMITH. “Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 83, no. 4 (January 1, 1985): 307–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1985.tb01178.x.
KIER WM, SMITH KK. Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1985 Jan 1;83(4):307–24.
KIER, W. M., and K. K. SMITH. “Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. 83, no. 4, Jan. 1985, pp. 307–24. Scopus, doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1985.tb01178.x.
KIER WM, SMITH KK. Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1985 Jan 1;83(4):307–324.
Journal cover image

Published In

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

DOI

EISSN

1096-3642

ISSN

0024-4082

Publication Date

January 1, 1985

Volume

83

Issue

4

Start / End Page

307 / 324

Related Subject Headings

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 0608 Zoology