A skeletal muscle deprived of adequate ATP supplies will ________.
A) immediately relax
B) enter a state where actin and myosin are unable to separate
C) fire many more action potentials than usual and enter a state of "rigor"
D) sequester all free calcium ions into the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Without ATP, myosin heads cannot detach from actin, leading to a state of rigidity known as rigor mortis. However, this process takes several hours to occur after death, so in a living organism, the muscle will likely immediately relax due to a lack of energy to maintain contraction. Option A is incorrect. Option C is not possible, as a lack of ATP would mean that action potentials cannot be generated. Option D is also incorrect, as a lack of ATP means that calcium ions cannot be properly sequestered and may contribute to the development of rigor mortis.

A Skeletal Muscle Deprived of Adequate ATP Supplies Will ________