Curare, a poison from a South American shrub, blocks the binding of ACh by muscle cells. What would happen to muscle function if a toxic dose of curare entered the bloodstream?

Paralysis: Action potentials would be impeded at the neuromuscular junction, and the nerve would be unable to trigger the muscle to act

Spasm: The muscle cell will run out of ATP and fluid, becoming hyperexcitable and developing uncontrolled forceful contractions

Seizure: A sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain would cause muscles to stiffen and tremble

No effect: Muscle function is not dependent on the binding of acetylcholine

The correct answer is paralysis.

Explanation:

Curare refers to a poison originating from a plant, which is commonly found in South and Central America. It is a poison that works competitively by reversibly preventing the activity of an acetylcholine receptor present at the neuromuscular junction. This further blocks the activity of muscles as the signal between the nerves and the muscles get restricted.

When this poison is used in adequate concentrations it results in paralysis and can even result in death due to the non-functioning of diaphragm muscles. The poison is obtained from the plant extract, also termed as alkaloid arrow poisons.