Compare and contrast a single, weak contraction of a muscle fiber, a twitch summation, and tetanus
What will be an ideal response?
A single action potential will usually cause a single, weak contraction of a muscle fiber called a
muscle twitch. The membrane potential will rise and fall quickly (30- 40 msec). A twitch summation
occurs when a muscle fiber is restimulated before it has relaxed completely, and results in a stronger
contraction. Tetanus occurs when stimuli arrive so quickly that the Ca2+ channels remain open and
there is a continuous contraction.
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A. gap junctions B. tight junctions C. desmosomes D. plasmodesmata E. adherens junctions
During meiosis, the sister chromatids separate during
a. anaphase II. b. anaphase I. c. the S phase. d. synapsis. e. telophase II.