Rattlesnakes contract their tail shaker muscles at frequencies up to 90 hertz (90 times a second) to create their rattling sound; they move their body muscles much more slowly (about 5 hertz) to slither around. What contractile differences do you expect to find in the tail shaker muscles that result in their high contraction rate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The high frequency of contraction in the tail shaker muscles can be attributed to the faster rate of cross-bridge cycling, which is facilitated by a high rate of ATP hydrolysis by myosin molecules. Other choices do not directly address this difference in contractile properties.

Rattlesnakes Contract Their Tail Shaker Muscles at Frequencies Up to 90