Characterization of enzymatically isolated myocytes from the turtle, Chrysemys picta

Application of an enzymatic cell isolation technique to a turtle heart yielded mononuclear spindle-shaped myocytes. Turtle myocyte morphology revealed a long, thin, tapered cell with an average length of 221± 9.6 μm and an average width of 9.55 ± 0.87 μm. Cell volume was calculated to be 16,248 ± 24,776 μm3 and mean sarcomere length was 2.24 ± 0.09 μm. The Ca+2-tolerant myocytes shortened to a degree of 13 ± 6.1% when stimulated in an electric field. Both spontaneous and induced contractions resembled a twitch. Myocyte volume did not vary significantly with the body mass of the turtle.