10) Unit 1 - Nerve Transmission

Question 1

What is nerve transmission

Answer 1

Nerve transmission is a wave of depolarisation of the resting potential of a neuron

Question 2

There is a ___________ potential across the membrane of ______

Answer 2

There is a resting potential across the membrane of -70

Question 3

Describe the process of nerve transmission

Answer 3

-70:
•Stimulus, a ligand binds to a ligand gated channel causing conformational change and it to open.
•The ligand is the neurotransmitter
•This allows a flow of Na+ inside

-55:
•Threshold, the Na+ voltage gated channels open all together allowing a mass flow of Na+ ions inside.
•This depolarises the membrane

+30:
•This is reached very quickly
•K- gated channels open and sodium gated channels close due to the mass amount of positive ions inside the cell. Conformational change
•potassium gated channels remove the potassium ions
•This repolarizes the membrane

-90:
•Both channels are closed and sodium potassium pump can reestablish the normal potential, by pumping 3Na+ out of the cell and 2K- into the cell
•This is called the re-factory period

-70:
Membrane is at its resting state

Question 4

What is the ligand involved in nerve transmission

Answer 4

Neurotransmission