Rigor mortis is the stiffening of a body after death that occurs when myosin binds to actin but cannot unbind. What prevents myosin from unbinding?

Which of the following is critical to the function of most exoskeletons, endoskeletons, and hydrostatic skeletons?

a. Muscles interact with the skeleton in antagonistic groups.

b. Muscles attach to each of these types of skeletons via tendons.

c. Muscles extend joints by pushing skeletal elements.

d. Segments of the body or limbs are extended when paired muscles relax in unison.

How did data on sarcomere structure inspire the sliding-filament model of muscle contraction?

Explain why the observation that muscle cells contain many mitochondria and extensive smooth endoplasmic reticulum turned out to be logical once the molecular mechanism of muscular contraction was understood.

In muscle cells, myosin molecules continue moving along actin molecules as long as:

a. ATP is present and troponin is not bound to Ca²⁺.

b. ADP is present and tropomyosin is released from intracellular stores.

c. ADP is present and the intracellular acetylcholine level is high.

d. ATP is present and the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration is high.

In 2023, Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia set a new record with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. Scientists, trainers, and athletes alike have wondered about the extent to which muscle structure and function contribute to success in athletes such as Assefa. What makes elite distance runners so good? Are their muscles somehow different from those of less successful athletes and non-athletes? Compare and contrast the structure and function of the three types of skeletal muscle fibers.

In 2023, Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia set a new record with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. Scientists, trainers, and athletes alike have wondered about the extent to which muscle structure and function contribute to success in athletes such as Assefa. What makes elite distance runners so good? Are their muscles somehow different from those of less successful athletes and non-athletes? Predict who would likely have a greater proportion of fast glycolytic fibers in their gastrocnemius (calf) muscle—an elite distance runner or an elite sprinter. Explain.

In 2023, Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia set a new record with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. Scientists, trainers, and athletes alike have wondered about the extent to which muscle structure and function contribute to success in athletes such as Assefa. What makes elite distance runners so good? Are their muscles somehow different from those of less successful athletes and non-athletes? Predict the effect of training for a marathon on the number of muscle cells in the gastrocnemius. Explain.