You Recently Sprayed Your Apartment with Insecticide to Remove an Infestation

question 22

Multiple Choice

You recently sprayed your apartment with insecticide to remove an infestation of cockroaches. In your kitchen, you noticed some roaches lying on their backs twitching after being exposed to the insecticide. This aroused your curiosity, so you decided to investigate exactly how the insecticide works on the nervous system.
In your research, you discover that the insecticide you used contains a permanent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that stimulates skeletal muscle to contract (including insect muscles) . Acetylcholinesterase removes acetylcholine from the synapse after the signal is received. Exposure to high pesticide concentrations has a similar effect on humans, which can also be caused by exposure to the nerve gas Sarin and other chemical agents.
-Since pesticides affect humans in a manner similar to that of roaches, it would be valid to conclude that

• A) acetylcholinesterase affects the DNA of all animals.
• B) the mechanism of stimulating skeletal muscle contraction must be similar in humans and roaches.
• C) pesticides are more harmful to roaches than humans.
• D) the terminal end of the axon releases acetylcholine in roaches, but not in humans.