REMINDER: The responses should be an attempt to clarify and/or expand on the above concepts rather than to criticize the answers. Please indicate your sources as well.  I will be grading for quality of the responses and citations (SEE RUBRIC).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

A group of medical students were given the following hypothetical problem: A 9 year old boy accidentally ingests organophosphate poison and the students are charge with saving his life. They were allowed to choose one of two substances as antidote--acetylcholine and curare:

 (i) Explain the mechanism of organophosphate poisons.

(ii) Choose one of the above antidotes and explain, using your knowledge of nervous system physiology, the reasons for your choice. Also, explain why the other antidote would not be appropriate for this boy’s condition.