Assignment Part I: Draw a picture of the neuromuscular junction and label the following parts
- Motor Neuron Motor End Plate Synaptic Cleft Synaptic Vesicles
- Voltage-gated Calcium Channel Acetylcholine Ligand Gated Channels
- Acetylcholine Acetylcholinesterase Action potential Sarcolemma
- Voltage-gated Sodium Channel Axon terminal
Assignment Part II: With your drawing outline the events of the neuromuscular junction beginning with action potential arriving at the axon terminal and ending with the triggering of an action potential in the muscle cell
Assignment Part III: Draw a second picture of the neuromuscular junction to illustrate where the drugs/toxins (see list below) are acting in the neuromuscular junction. Using the description of what the drugs/toxins do below; explain what you reasonably think will happen to muscle contraction.
- Drugs/Toxins
- Nicotine - Mimics the effects of acetylcholine on the acetylcholine ligand-gated channel
- Ziconotide - Blocks/prevents opening of the neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel
- Neostigmine - Inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity
- Myasthenia Gravis - immune system generates antibodies that removes acetylcholine-ligand gated channels from the neuromuscular junction