Question

what would happen if you somehow increased the amount of acetylcholinesterase (or its activity) in the synaptic cleft? group of answer choices muscle contractions would be shorter or may not happen muscle contractions would be longer and more forceful nothing. acetylcholinesterase has no effect on skeletal muscle contraction.

Answer 1

Increasing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic cleft would lead to shortened or inhibited muscle contractions, as AChE quickly breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for initiating muscle contractions.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you increased the amount of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or its activity in the synaptic cleft, muscle contractions would be shorter or may not happen at all. This is because AChE is responsible for breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), which signals muscle fibers to contract. By increasing AChE activity, ACh is broken down more quickly, thus shortening the time it can bind to ACh receptors on muscle fibers and initiate contraction. Acetylcholinesterase is a crucial enzyme in the process of muscle contraction, specifically during the phase where it is important to terminate the action so that muscles can relax and avoid unwanted sustained contraction.

Agents that inhibit AChE, like the nerve gas Sarin, prevent the breakdown of ACh, leading to continuous muscle contraction and potential for life-threatening conditions. Therefore, an increase in AChE activity would have the opposite effect, causing rapid removal of ACh from the synaptic cleft and reducing the strength or occurrence of muscle contractions.