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Multiple Choice
Drug X blocks ATP regeneration from ADP and phosphate. How will muscle cells respond to this drug?
A
Muscle cells will be unable to contract due to lack of available ATP.
B
Muscle cells will increase the rate of glycolysis to compensate for the loss of ATP.
C
Muscle cells will continue normal function because ATP is not essential for contraction.
D
Muscle cells will switch to using fatty acids exclusively for energy.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the role of ATP in muscle contraction: ATP is essential for muscle contraction as it provides the energy required for the myosin heads to detach from actin filaments and reset for another contraction cycle.
Analyze the effect of Drug X: Drug X blocks ATP regeneration from ADP and phosphate, which means the muscle cells will experience a shortage of ATP, directly impacting their ability to contract.
Consider alternative energy pathways: Muscle cells may attempt to compensate for the lack of ATP by increasing glycolysis, a process that generates ATP anaerobically, though less efficiently compared to oxidative phosphorylation.
Evaluate the other options: Muscle cells cannot function normally without ATP, and switching exclusively to fatty acids for energy is not feasible because fatty acid metabolism still requires ATP for initial steps and is slower than glycolysis.
Conclude the most likely response: Muscle cells will increase the rate of glycolysis to compensate for the loss of ATP, but they will still face limitations in contraction efficiency due to the reduced ATP availability.