Bad Fish Case Study

Short Answer Questions

1. Define the following phrases and terms associated with the signs and symptoms of Dr. Westwood’s TTX poisoning: diaphoresis - sweating, especially to an unusual degree as a symptom of disease or a side effect of a drug.

motor dysfunction - abnormal, disturbed or impaired functioning of a muscle, nerve, or center that affects or produces movement.

paresthesias - an abnormal sensation, typically tingling, caused mainly by pressure on or damage to peripheral nerves, (“pins and needles”).

cyanotic - the appearance of a blue or purple coloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to the tissues near the skin surface having low oxygen saturation.

hypoventilation - also known as respiratory depression, occurs when ventilation is inadequate to perform needed gas exchange.

bradycardia - abnormally slow heart action.

gastric lavage - the process of cleaning out the contents of the stomach, also known as gastric irrigation

oxygen saturation - commonly referred to as "sats", measures the percentage of hemoglobin binding sites in the bloodstream occupied by oxygen.

2. As mentioned in the case description, tetrodotoxin is a molecule that blocks voltage-gated sodium ion channels. What is a voltage-gated sodium ion channel and what is its function? A protein (amino acid) that allows sodium ions to flow across the cell membrane and it function is to generate and propagate the action potential down an axon.

3. When nerve cells are at rest, there is an unequal amount of positive and negative charges on either side of a nerve cell membrane. This charge difference creates an electrical potential. Describe how the resting membrane potential (resting potential) is generated. Resting membrane potential is generated from the separation of potassium ions from

intracellular, relatively immobile anions across the membrane of the cell.

4. What is happening to the electrical potential of a neuron when it generates an action potential? What is the...