Action Potentials: Module 1.7 - 1.8 Flashcards
Who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and physiology in 1963?
Hodgkin and Huxley
For their work in ionic mechanisms involved in action potentials.
When was the first published intracellular recording of an Action Potential?
1939 By Hodgkin and Huxley
Used Giant squid Axon and electrodes
The giant squid axon contracts the ____ causing the expulsion of ____ for propulsion(siphon) against danger.
The giant squid axon contracts the mantel causing the expulsion of water for porpulsion(siphon) against danger.
1mm diameter in Squid axon
What are 4 distinct properties of an action potential?
- Threshold
- All or None Event
- AP conducted without decrement. Has a self-regenerative feature that keeps the amplitude constant, even when it is condected over great distances.
- Refractory Period
What are the different parts of an action potential?
- Rising Phase - depolarizing phase; rapid increase in Vm from resting potential to maximum value of 10mV - 40mV
- Overshoot - part of the AP above 0mV
- Repolarizing Phase - Negative going from Peak to resting potential.
- Afterhyperpolarization: repolarization undershoots to a voltage more negative than resting.
What do the threshold, amplitude, time course, and duration of an AP depend on?
- The gating and permeability properties of ion channels
- the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of the ions
- Membrane Properties such as Geometry of the Cell
What ion is the depol/rising phase largely due to?
Due to the Na Conductance
What ion is the peak of the AP largely due to?
Na
What ion is the repolarization phase of the AP largely due to?
Due to the decrease of Na conductance and an increase in K conductance.
What ion is the afterhyperpolarization phase of the AP largely due to?
Due to the conductance of K
Total Absence of Na
Does the membrane potential of a AP ever reach E(Na)?
No
Due to inactivation of Na Channels and activation of K Conductance
Explain the how the permeability of Na and K change during the AP.
At higher membrane potentials closer to the peak of AP the cells **permeability to Na is higher than K **due to activation of voltage gated Na Channels.
At lower membrane potentials closer to resting potentials the cells permeability to K is greater than Na due to inactivation of Na channels and more K leak channels.
The greater the ____ for a given ion, the greater its contribution to the ____.
The greater the permeability for a given ion, the greater its contribution to the membrane potential.
What are the 2 types of refractory periods?
Absolute: Impossible to fire another AP.
Relative: the minimal stimulus necessary for activation is stonger or longer than predicted by the first AP
Why is there an absolute refractory period and until when does it last?
Absolute Refractory period exists because Na channels remain inactivated.