In: Anatomy and Physiology
Myasthenia gravis is a disease that disrupts movement by blocking ACh receptors, preventing them from opening. What is the effect of this disease on movement and why? Be sure to list the steps involved in muscular activity starting at the motor endplate and ending with the cross bridge formation between actin and myosin (do not include the contraction cycle). How might you try to correct this problem?
The binding of acetylcholine to its receptor activates the muscle and causes a muscle contraction. In myasthenia gravis, antibodies (immune proteins produced by the body's immune system) block, alter, or destroy the receptors for acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, which prevents the muscle from contracting.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. Myasthenia gravis affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially those that control the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs.
We are using a diagram for better understanding: