1 Flashcards
What is action potential?
A change in resting membrane potential because of threshold stimulus
Application of action potential
Stimulus artifact and latent period
Stimulus artifact is….
Current leakage from stimulating to recording electrode
Latent period is…..
- times that takes nerve impulse to travel
- indicates rate of conduction in axon
Steps of action potential
Depolarization and repolarization
Depolarization
- slow depolarization from -70 to -55 mV
-firing level reach till 0 mV
Then overshoot (reverse polarity) till +35 mV
Cause of depolarization
Activation of voltage Na+ gates = excessive Na+ influx
Repolarization
- return membrane potential to resting state
What are the three steps of repolarization?
- Rapid Repolarization
- After depolarization (negative after potential)
- After hypepolarization (positive after potential)
Rapid repolarization
Restores 70% of resting condition
Cause of rapid repolarization
Inactivation of Na+ gates
Activation of K+ gates
After depolarization (negative after potential)
Rate of repolarization becomes slow
Cause of after depolarization (negative after potential)
Decrease in K+ gradient …… slow K+ efflux …… delayed repolarization
After hyperpolarization (positive after potential)
Reaching RMP by overshoot of hyperpolarized then return to normal
Cause of after hyperpolarization (positive after potential)
Delay of K+ channels closure …… more K+ efflux …… more hyperpolarization
Properties of action potential
- Threshold stimulus
- Propagation in both direction
- Obeys all or none law
- Constant duration
- Ionic changes