Question

Curare produces skeletal muscle paralysis because it is a(n) __________.

1) antibiotic
2) painkiller
3) muscle relaxant
4) anticoagulant

Answer 1

Curare is a muscle relaxant that causes skeletal muscle paralysis by blocking the action of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, competing with it for receptors on muscle cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Curare produces skeletal muscle paralysis because it is a muscle relaxant. Curare, specifically, d-tubocurarine, acts by blocking the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Normally, acetylcholine is released into the neuromuscular junction and binds to receptors on muscle cells, initiating muscle contraction. Curare competes with acetylcholine for these receptors and prevents muscle contraction, leading to paralysis. This mechanism is distinct from poisons that inhibit acetylcholinesterase, such as nerve agents which cause continuous muscle contractions and botulinum toxin (Botox) which also prevents the release of acetylcholine, leading to flaccid paralysis.