Saturday 3 August 2013

Mechanotransduction - converting mechanical stimulus to chemical activity


File:Cartilage forces.jpg

Why mobilization does good to our musculoskeletal system?

I wanted to understand the physiological mechanism behind this simple rule and I learned about mechanotransduction.

This is a biological phenomenon that we should be aware; the phenomenon of mechanotransduction - the mechanisms by which cells convert mechanical stimulus into chemical activity. This law can be and is applied in many physiological processes as well in many therapeutic techniques in Physical Therapy.

Below you can find an overview of the mechanism of mechanotransduction:

"The conversion of physical force into biochemical information is fundamental to development and physiology. It provides a simple means by which cells and organisms can ensure structural stability, as well as a way to regulate morphogenetic movements to generate precise three-dimensional structures. In the vascular system, pressure and shear stress from pumping blood influence the morphology and pathology of the heart and vasculature. Bone is shaped by forces from gravity and muscle contraction. Hearing and touch are based on neural responses to pressure. Inflation and deflation of the lungs regulate their physiology. Coordinated growth of tissues is guided by mechanical forces, and failure of these mechanisms contributes to cancer. Mechanosensitivity in one form or another appears to be a property shared by all cells of the body and by all phyla from mammals to bacteria".

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