Final answer:
The statement is true; calcium ions bind to troponin, causing a change that moves tropomyosin away from the myosin-binding sites on actin, which is essential for muscle contraction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Ca++ binds to troponin, and this slides the tropomyosin rods away from the binding sites." is true. In the muscle contraction process, calcium ions (Ca++) are crucial because they bind to the troponin complex that is attached to tropomyosin, which is responsible for covering the myosin-binding sites on the actin filaments. When calcium binds to troponin, it induces a conformational change that causes tropomyosin to move away from these binding sites, allowing myosin heads to attach to actin and initiate muscle contraction.