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RE: All About Muscles - Part 2: How Muscles Work
I have a question about Rigor Mortis,if cells dont provide ATP anylonger ,,does this mean that muscles use also ATP to decontract??
I have a question about Rigor Mortis,if cells dont provide ATP anylonger ,,does this mean that muscles use also ATP to decontract??
Hi @fancybrothers, good question! To understand this, we have to go a little deeper into what actually happens during rigor mortis. You see the first step is the influx of calcium into muscle cells, causing them to contract. During the start of this step there will be some left over ATP available, so the muscle will actively be able to contract (as per the process above). The problem comes when this ATP releases and as per this...
The myosin heads are not able to 'let go' of the actin. The upshot is that the muscles get stuck in this rigid contracted position.
To answer your question, muscles do require ATP to relax (or decontract) if only to break the bonds between actin and myosin so that the muscles can return to their natural relaxed position.
I see ,good job !