What is the difference between type I and type 2 muscle fibres?
· Type 1 muscle fibres are high in myoglobin and oxidative enzymes and have many mitochondria. They perform tonic contraction and are involved in weight-bearing and movements requiring sustained force. Chloroquine causes vacuolation of myocytes, predominantly type 1 fibres. · Type 2 muscle fibres are rich in glycolytic enzymes; they perform rapid phasic contractions and are involved in sudden movements and in purposeful motion. In steroid myopathy the muscle fibre atrophy predominantly affects these fibres. Sir W.R. Gowers (1845-1915), Professor of Medicine at University College Hospital, London, invented a haemoglobinometer, personally illustrated an atlas of ophthalmology, and wrote a book on spinal cord diseases and a manual on the nervous system. He also founded a society of medical stenographers.
