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Describe the process of rigor mortis

Describe the process of rigor mortis

Answers

Faith
- Soon after the time of death a body become rigid. This stiffening is the result of a biochemical process called rigor mortis.
- Contraction begins in the brain with nerves impulses sent down the spinal cord to a mortor neuron. The action potential started in the brain is passed on to the muscle fibre through an axon where it is carried into a neuromuscular junction
- The neuromuscular junction also referred to as the myoneural junction, releases acetylcholine when the action potential reaches the junction. When the acetylcholine come into contact with the receptor of the surface of the muscle fibre, a number of transmembrane channel open to allow sodium ions to enter.
- This influx of sodium ions creates an action potential within the fibre which trigger a release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
- Calcium ions filter through out the sarcomares and bind with the troponin complexes causing a shift of the tropomyosin structure and exposing the myosin binding site on the actin. A power stroke follows, wherein the myosin head drop the ADP and Pi, which hold the head of the locked back position, and move laterally thereby moving the actin at the same time. Finally, ATP binds to the myosin head, thereby detaching from actin, upon release from actin the ATP break down into ADP & Pi, giving energy to return the myosin to its locked position, thereby renewing the cycle.
Titany answered the question on April 25, 2022 at 11:50

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