This essay reviews the historical significance of five classic papers by Henneman and colleagues describing the size principle of motoneuron recruitment.
This essay looks at the historical significance of five APS classic papers that are freely available online: McPhedran AM, Wuerker RB, and Henneman E. Properties of motor units in a homogeneous red muscle (soleus) of the cat. J Neurophysiol 28: 71–84, 1965 ( http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/28/1/71 ). Wuerker RB, McPhedran AM, and Henneman E. Properties of motor units in a heterogeneous pale muscle (m. gastrocnemius) of the cat. J Neurophysiol 28: 85–99, 1965 ( http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/28/1/85 ). Henneman E, Somjen G, and Carpenter DO. Functional significance of cell size in spinal motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 28: 560–580, 1965 ( http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/28/3/560 ). Henneman E and Olson CB. Relations between structure and function in the design of skeletal muscles. J Neurophysiol 28: 581–598, 1965 ( http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/28/3/581 ). Henneman E, Somjen G, and Carpenter DO. Excitability and inhibitability of motoneurons of different sizes. J Neurophysiol 28: 599–620, 1965 ( http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/28/3/599 ).
Lorne M. Mendell (Wed,) reported a review. This essay reviews the historical significance of five classic papers by Henneman and colleagues describing the size principle of motoneuron recruitment.