Prior to intubation for a surgical procedure, the anesthesiologist administered a single dose of the neuromuscular blocking agent, succinlycholine, to a 23 year-old male to provide muscular relaxation during surgery and to facilitate the insertion of the endotracheal tube. Following this, the inhalation
anesthetic was administered and the surgical procedure completed.
Question
1. Beginning with depolarization at the neuromuscular junction, describe the normal sequence of events which lead to muscle contraction.
2. What prevents acetylcholine (Ach) from accumulating in the neuromuscular junction and causing a sustained contraction in a normal individual?