Adrenaline is a hormone and neurotransmitter produced by the adrenal medulla. It plays an important role in the normal activity of the heart, modulating the rate and force of cardiac contractions. It does this by activating beta-adrenoceptors in the cardiac muscle cell membrane.
Nifedipine modulates the force of cardiac muscle contraction by blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels in the cell membrane.
1. Press the Start button and observe your recording.
2. After a few seconds select the Adrenaline solution from the dropdown box. Click the Add drug button and record your observations. What happens to the force of contraction (tension)?
3. Repeat this process using the drug nifedipine. What effect is this drug having on the force of contraction?
This experiment simulates 20 minutes of data recording which has been condensed to a few minutes.
Drug:
Time (s)
Selected value: (0, 0).
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