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Chapter 16: Problem 19

When athletes overexert themselves on hot days, they often suffer immobility from painful muscle cramps. Which of the following is a reasonable hypothesis to explain such cramps? a. Muscle cells do not have enough ATP for normal muscle relaxation. b. Excessive sweating has affected the salt balance within the muscles. c. Prolonged contractions have temporarily interrupted blood flow to parts of the muscle. d. All of the above.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The most reasonable hypotheses to explain muscle cramps in overexerted athletes on hot days are: excessive sweating has affected the salt balance within the muscles, and prolonged contractions have temporarily interrupted blood flow to parts of the muscle. Therefore, the correct answer is a combination of options B and C.

Step by step solution

01

Evaluate Option A

Option A suggests that muscle cells lack sufficient ATP for normal muscle relaxation. ATP is fundamental for muscle contraction and relaxation. However, if there is insufficient ATP, the muscle would fail to contract and not cause a cramp. Therefore, this hypothesis does not fully explain muscle cramps.
02

Evaluate Option B

Option B suggests that excessive sweating affects the salt balance within the muscles. Sweating leads to loss of body fluids and electrolytes (salts), altering the salt balance in muscles. This imbalance can interfere with muscle function, potentially causing cramps. This hypothesis seems reasonable.
03

Evaluate Option C

Option C suggests that prolonged contractions interrupt blood flow to parts of the muscle. If blood flow is interrupted, the muscle will not receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients, leading to muscle fatigue and potentially cramps. This hypothesis is also plausible.
04

Evaluate Option D

Option D suggests that all of the above options are correct. However, option A doesn't provide a plausible explanation for muscle cramps in overexerted athletes. Therefore, this option is not the most reasonable hypothesis.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

When an action potential (nerve impulse) arrives at a muscle membrane (sarcolemma), in what order do the following events occur? a. Release of \(\mathrm{Ca}^{2+}\) ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum b. Hydrolysis of ATP, with release of energy c. Detachment of myosin from actin d. Sliding of myosin along actin filament e. Opening of switch 1 and switch 2 on myosin head

Rigor is a muscle condition in which muscle fibers, depleted of ATP and phosphocreatine, develop a state of extreme rigidity and cannot be easily extended. (In death, this state is called rigor mortis, the rigor of death.) From what you have learned about muscle contraction, explain the state of rigor in molecular terms.

In which of the following tissues would you expect to find smooth muscle? a. Arteries b. Stomach c. Urinary bladder d. Diaphragm e. Uterus f. The gums in your mouth

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked recessive disorder associated with severe deterioration of muscle tissue. The gene for the disease: a. is inherited by males from their mothers. b. should be more common in females than in males. c. both a and b. d. neither a nor b.

ATP stores in muscle are augmented or supplemented by stores of phosphocreatine. During periods of contraction, phosphocreatine is hydrolyzed to drive the synthesis of needed ATP in the creatine kinase reaction: Phosphocreatine \(+\mathrm{ADP} \longrightarrow\) creatine \(+\mathrm{ATP}\) Muscle cells contain two different isozymes of creatine kinase, one in the mitochondria and one in the sarcoplasm. Explain.
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