Question

which term means \diminished tone of the skeletal muscles\?
atonic
ataxia
hypotonic
hypertonic

Explanation:

• Atonic generally refers to lack of muscle tone but is more about being flaccid or without normal tone in a broader sense, not specifically "diminished" in the context of comparing to normal (it can imply absence).
• Ataxia refers to lack of coordination of muscle movements, not muscle tone.
• Hypotonic means having diminished muscle tone (lower than normal), which matches the description "diminished tone of the skeletal muscles".
• Hypertonic means having increased muscle tone (higher than normal), which is the opposite of what is being asked.

Answer:

C. hypotonic