When curare is placed on a neuromuscular junction
When curare is placed on a neuromuscular junction, the muscle does not contract even when the neuron is releasing ACh.
– Identify 3 potential molecular targets of curare and molecular mechanisms of how it could be blocking contraction.
– How would you determine which of your 3 targets was really bound by curare? What measurements could you take to find out?
– Example: Block release of ACh; after action potential in motor neuron, levels of AChin synapse will remain low and there will be vesicles containing AChin motor neuron axon terminal
Activity 1:
Curare is a South American Indian arrow
poison that comes from the curare plant.
If poison dart frogs eat curare, they
secrete the poison from their skin. Activity2
IIA
IIB
You are an exercise physiologist. You want to test skeletal muscle
properties in Elaine Thompson (sprinter) and Jemima Sumgong
(marathoner). You run an experiment where you maximally
stimulate the motor neurons that innervate the gastrocnemius
muscle of each athletes. You repeatedly stimulate the motor
neurons at intervals of 20ms for 1 min.
(By the way, if you want to do this experiment on yourselves,
think about taking BIO 335!)
a) Predict the relative magnitude and duration of muscle
tension that will result from this experiment in your two
subjects (Thompson and Sumgong).
b) Explain your answers using physiological terms (e.g. muscle
fiber types and properties).
Solution preview for the order on when curare is placed on a neuromuscular junction
APA
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