Abstract

Full, R.J. Invertebrate locomotor systems. 1997. In The Handbook of Comparative Physiology. (Ed. W. Dantzler). Oxford University Press, 853-930.

Introduction

Organismal biology is entering an exciting new era of integration following the maturation of specialized fields. Comparative physiology, broadly defined to include functional morphology and comparative biomechanics, sits in an opportune position with respect to its level of biological organization. Being between molecular biology and behavioral ecology offers the possibility of linking molecular function to relevant whole-animal performance and behavior in the field. The technologies of rapid data acquisition, analysis, imaging, and computer modeling will allow unprecedented advancements in the future because the overwhelming complexity involved in system integration can be addressed for the first time.

Why study locomotion? First, locomotion is one of the best behaviors to study from a systems viewpoint because the integration of systems is so evident. Musculoskeletal systems - hydrostatic and jointed framework -which produce movement, nervous and endocrine systems that control movement, and circulatory and respiratory systems that sustain locomotion, are often interdependent. I discuss the conversion of chemical energy in muscle cells to the mechanical energy that the whole animal generates for locomotion.