[FinderKeeper]

Ok, this is a fun way to learn and have fun at the same time. The rules are easy:
- You post a question, the next person answers, and posts his/her own question.

- If 2 or more people answer the same question at the same time, we take the first question posted, and move on

What does hair color depend on?

[dilleweed]

Which bottle you buy....

Sorry, I had to.


And to make up for it, I'll give a real answer: Hair color is determined by melanin (of which there are 2 types) and that is determined by a collection of genes.

[PsychNurseWannaBe]

You beat me to it... I was going to say it depends on what box you buy!

[dilleweed]

Oh... and here's my question:

What is the difference between tetanus caused by bacteria and normal tetanus (or tetany) of a muscle?

[FinderKeeper]

Hmmm...I honestly don't know. Anybody knows?

[PsychNurseWannaBe]

Is it??

Tetany (medical sign) is a sustained muscle contraction not caused by tetanus. Normally d/t low CA2+ levels or high phosphate levels.

Tetanus (medical condition) is caused by a pathogen that releases neurotoxins and interfers with the release of neurotransmitters.

Was I close? It has been a long time since I had A&P.

[dilleweed]

You're pretty much right... here's how I answered it for my class:

Tetanus is caused by a bacterial infection. Tetanospasmin is a neurotoxin released by the bacteria. It blocks neurotransmitter release from inhibitory neurons. This causes the muscles to spasm because they are only receiving impulses from excitatory neurons.

Tetany, on the other hand, is a simple continuous contraction resulting from an increase in stimulus frequency to the point where relaxation cannot occur. It is a short-lived phenomenon as the muscle cells will relax when ATP is no longer supplied and lactic acid builds up.