A karate instructor uses his hand to chop a plank of hard wood, and then uses his closed fist to punch a
soft practice bag. Which statement is true of the graded potentials of each action?
A. Neither action contains a great enough stimulus to cause depolarization.
B. The depolarization of both actions will be exactly the same.
C. Chopping the wood will cause greater depolarization than punching the bag.
D. Punching the bag will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood.
D
. Punching the bag will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood.
D. Punching the bag will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood. Of course, it's not the same as your average person punching a bag. It's a karate instructor we're talking about here! That guy has got some serious power in that fist. So, it's safe to say that his punch will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood. It's all about that fist power!
The statement "Punching the bag will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood" is true of the graded potentials of each action.
To determine the true statement regarding the graded potentials in each action, we need to understand the concept of graded potentials and how they relate to depolarization.
Graded potentials are small changes in the membrane potential of a cell, which can vary in amplitude and can either depolarize (increase the membrane potential towards the threshold) or hyperpolarize (decrease the membrane potential away from the threshold).
In the case of the karate instructor, chopping the wood and punching the bag are two different actions with different levels of stimulus.
Chopping the wood involves using the instructor's hand to chop a plank of hard wood. This action generates significant force and impact, creating a strong mechanical stimulus. This strong mechanical stimulus can cause the sensory receptors in the hand to generate action potentials, which can then travel to the central nervous system, ultimately leading to motor neuron activation. This process involves a significant depolarization of the sensory and motor neurons.
Punching the bag, on the other hand, involves a closed fist striking a soft practice bag. Although the impact is still there, the force exerted and the resulting mechanical stimulus are generally less intense compared to chopping the wood. Therefore, the sensory receptors in the hand may generate action potentials, but the amplitude of depolarization is likely to be less than that of chopping the wood.
Based on this information, the correct statement is: D. Punching the bag will cause greater depolarization than chopping the wood.