Some athletes will consume only protein for several days before a competition, which reduces the amount of glycogen in both the muscle fibers and the liver. What effect would this have on their ability to perform activities that require short, powerful bursts of activity? How would it affect their ability to perform endurance activities?

Ms. Sanchez was in a motorcycle accident in which she lost the use of her right upper limb muscles due to significant nerve damage. However, when an electrode is inserted into her muscles, they are able to contract. Explain specifically why nerve damage caused her to lose the use of her muscles. Why can they still respond to stimulation from an electrode?

Mr. Nasheed has cerebral palsy and suffers severe skeletal muscle spasms as a result of his condition. He is prescribed the drug dantrolene, which prevents the release of Ca²⁺ from the SR. Explain how this will treat his muscle spasms.

Would you expect to find larger motor units in the postural muscles of the back or the muscles of the hand? Explain your answer.

A hypothetical poison blocks K⁺ leak channels. How would this affect the resting membrane potential of skeletal muscle fibers? Explain your reasoning.

The drug neostigmine blocks the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase in the synaptic cleft. Predict the effects of this drug.

Explain why cardiac muscle cells and some smooth muscle cells will continue to contract even when their nerve supply has been removed

The poison curare (kyoo-RAH-ray) blocks the binding of acetylcholine to its receptors at the neuromuscular junction. What effects would you predict from such a poison? Can you think of any useful applications for it? Why might an overdose of it be lethal?

Jesse is a 2-year-old boy who presents with difficulty in walking and poor control of movements. When the doctor examines Jesse, she notices that when his muscles contract, they are very slow to relax and remain contracted well after the movement has been performed. She sends a sample of his tissue for genetic analysis, and the lab reports a genetic defect that causes the pumps in the SR to operate much more slowly than normal. How does a defect in DNA lead to a malfunctioning protein? How does this finding explain Jesse's symptoms?