Which best describes "rigor mortis"? A) Lack of ATP following death causes cross-bridges to remain tightly bound to actin. B) Lack of ATP following death causes calcium to remain in the cytosol, continuously stimulating cross-bridge cycling. C) Repeated, high-frequency action potentials to a skeletal muscle fiber causes sustained contraction following death. D) Following death, calcium-activated proteases degrade all proteins in skeletal muscle fibers, making muscles limp. E) Build-up of K⁺ in T-tubules causes constant, tetanic contractions of skeletal muscles that last for about 12 hours following death.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles after death due to the lack of ATP to remove myosin cross-bridges from actin, causing continued contraction.

Which Best Describes "Rigor Mortis