Answered

An athlete gets a severe cramp in his calf muscle in the middle of his basketball game. A cramp means his muscle is contracting and not relaxing.
Part 1:
Describe
the
steps of the sliding filament theory that caused his calf muscle to contract.
Part 2: Describe the step of the sliding filament theory that is necessary to get his calf muscle to relax.
Part 3. Can the athlete's muscle relax if he is low in calcium? Explain why or why not



Answer :

GinnyAnswer

Final answer:

The sliding filament theory explains muscle contraction and relaxation processes, involving calcium ions, myosin-actin interactions, and ATP. Low calcium levels can hinder muscle relaxation by affecting cross-bridge formation.


Explanation:

The sliding filament theory of muscle contraction involves specific steps:

  1. Activation: Calcium ions bind to troponin, causing tropomyosin to move and expose myosin binding sites on actin.
  2. Formation of cross-bridges: Myosin heads bind to actin, forming cross-bridges.
  3. Power stroke: Myosin heads pivot, sliding actin filaments past myosin filaments, shortening the sarcomere.

To get the muscle to relax: ATP binds to myosin heads, breaking cross-bridges, allowing the filaments to slide back to their original position.

If the athlete is low in calcium, the muscle may not relax as calcium ions are essential for muscle contraction initiation. Without sufficient calcium, the cross-bridge formation and subsequent sliding of filaments are hindered, impacting muscle relaxation.


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