Curare is a plant extract used by indigenous tribes in central and south america as a paralyses poison for hunting. curare binds to ach receptors, but does not open the associated channels. what process in the motor unit is affected by curare? how would this affect muscle contraction?


Question: Curare is a plant extract used by indigenous tribes in central and south america as a paralyses poison for hunting. curare binds to ach receptors, but does not open the associated channels. what process in the motor unit is affected by curare? how would this affect muscle contraction?

Curare affects the neuromuscular junction, the site where nerve cells communicate with muscle cells. Curare binds to acetylcholine (ACh) receptors on the muscle cell, but it does not open the associated channels. This prevents ACh from binding to its receptors and stimulating muscle contraction.

Without ACh binding to its receptors, the muscle cell cannot depolarize and generate an action potential. This means that the muscle cell cannot contract, even if the nerve cell is sending signals to do so.

Curare poisoning results in flaccid paralysis, which means that the muscles are relaxed and cannot contract. This can lead to difficulty breathing and, if severe enough, death.

Here is a more detailed explanation of the process of muscle contraction:

  1. A nerve cell sends a signal to the muscle cell by releasing ACh at the neuromuscular junction.
  2. ACh binds to ACh receptors on the muscle cell.
  3. This binding opens ion channels in the muscle cell membrane, allowing sodium ions to rush in.
  4. The influx of sodium ions depolarizes the muscle cell membrane, triggering an action potential.
  5. The action potential travels down the muscle cell membrane, causing the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
  6. Calcium ions bind to troponin, which allows tropomyosin to slide away from the actin-myosin binding sites.
  7. This allows myosin heads to bind to actin and pull the actin filaments, causing the muscle cell to contract.

Curare blocks the process of muscle contraction by preventing ACh from binding to its receptors on the muscle cell. This means that the muscle cell cannot depolarize and generate an action potential, and therefore cannot contract.

Curare is a dangerous poison, but it has also been used medicinally to treat muscle spasms and to relax muscles during surgery. However, it is important to note that curare should only be used under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.

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