Answer: Inhibitory synapses slow down or block activity/information communicated between brain neurons, which can include a reduced reaction or inaccurate pain message. Tetanus causes painful tightening and spasms of the muscles in the neck and jaw, because the bacteria tightens up these muscles. It occurs because people do not have their vaccine up to date or were left untreated for too long before receiving medical attention after the disease set in.
Explanation: Inhibitory synapses enable nerve cells in the brain to move information/messages back and forth. The synapses themselves limit or slow down the flow of information communicated, so that there is not a huge amount of data being passed back and forth between the brain's nerve cells/neurons, which is known as "activity" being exchanged between them. As humans, we are familiar with one form of this activity: pain. So, inhibitory synapses are the gatekeepers of how much pain our brain tells us to feel. Tetanus, or "lockjaw," causes a feeling of stiffness in the muscles, such as the jaw and neck areas. Also, the disease can cause uncomfortable spasms in these muscles. This is due to the bacterial infection causing the muscles to tighten, because the person did not get a tetanus vaccine to prevent the disease beforehand or was otherwise left untreated after tetanus set in.
