Question

A skeletal muscle deprived of adequate atp supplies will _____.

Answer 1

The correct answer is that the skeletal muscle will enter a state wherein actin and myosin cannot separate. In the presence of adequate ATP, ATP will act to detach the myosin head to actin then ATP will be hydrolyzed to ADP then the myosin head will attach to actin. In the absence of adequate ATP, there will be no ATP to detach the myosin head to actin therefore the actin and myosin cannot separate and muscles will be contracted and stiff. This happens in ATP depletion and muscle stiffness in dead persons called rigor mortis.<span />