Question

Some papillary μscles in the heart (which connect the valves to the endocardium through the chordae) are nearly cylindrical. We wish to perform a torsion test on such a tissue, but measuring the applied torque is difficult because of the small size.

a) Conducting a torsion test is feasible
b) The size hinders torque measurement
c) Cylindrical μscles have no relevance
d) Torsion tests are not applicable

Answer 1

a) Conducting a torsion test is feasible. Performing a torsion test on cardiac papillary muscles is feasible but measuring torque is challenging due to their small size. These muscles are significant as they secure atrioventricular valves via chordae tendineae and prevent valve inversion during ventricular contraction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question deals with the feasibility of performing a torsion test on papillary muscles in the heart, particularly considering the issue of measuring the applied torque due to the small size of these muscles. A torsion test is indeed feasible for such tissues; however, due to their small size, there may be difficulties in accurately measuring the torque applied to these muscles. The papillary muscles in the heart are crucial, particularly the ones associated with the atrioventricular valves - the tricuspid and mitral valves. These muscles, connected through the chordae tendineae, prevent the valves from inverting and allowing blood to flow back during the contraction of the ventricles. While performing a torsion test on these muscles may prove challenging, their cylindrical shape and function provide relevance to such mechanical studies.