- Discussion:
- muscle contraction is regulated by calcium ions, which will change thin filament into an activated state by binding to troponin;
- release of calcium actives the myosin-ATP complex, which motors the sliding action between actin and myosin;
- in absence of calcium, troponin & tropomyosin interfere w/ formation of active complexes;
- in absence of ATP, myosin and actin form rigor complexes whether or not calcium is present;
- after death, there is a gradual decrease in ATP concentration, so less ATP is available to disassociate the myosin head in a
rigor complex from the actin molecule