Which of the following metal ion plays an important role in muscle contraction?
Which of the following metal ion plays an important role in muscle contraction?
$\mathrm{Fe}^{2+}$
$\mathrm{Ca}^{2+}$
$\mathrm{Au}^{+}$
$\mathrm{Na}^{+}$
Solution
In muscle contraction, calcium ions $\mathrm{Ca}^{2+}$ play an important role by building interactions between proteins, myosin and actin. The $\mathrm{Ca}^{2+}$ ions bind to the $C$ portion of actin filament, exposing binding region to which myosin head is attached to in order to stimulate muscle contraction.