What causes tetanus in a muscle fiber?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the physiological mechanisms that lead to tetanus in muscle fibers. It presents several options that might explain the cause of tetanus, which relates to calcium ion dynamics and muscle contraction.
Answer
Repeated stimuli at short intervals cause tetanus in a muscle fiber.
A tetanic contraction in a muscle fiber is caused by repeated stimuli at short intervals, preventing the muscle fiber from fully relaxing before contracting again.
Answer for screen readers
A tetanic contraction in a muscle fiber is caused by repeated stimuli at short intervals, preventing the muscle fiber from fully relaxing before contracting again.
More Information
Tetanic contractions occur when individual muscle contractions blend into a single, sustained contraction. This is due to a rapid sequence of stimuli that prevent relaxation in between.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing the medical condition 'tetanus' caused by a bacterial toxin, with 'tetanic contraction' in physiology.
Sources
- Tetanic Contraction - ScienceDirect Topics - sciencedirect.com
- Tetanic contraction - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Twitch, summation and tetanus | Deranged Physiology - derangedphysiology.com
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