Biopsychology Chpt 4 Flashcards
What is the membrane potential?
difference in electrical charge inside and outside of the cell
What causes the uneven distribution of ions?
- The membrane is selectively permeable to some ions (more permeable to K+)
- Sodium-Potasium pumps
What factors contribute to the even distribution of ions?
- Random motion > particles move down their concentration gradient
- electrostatic pressure > like repels like, opposites attract
What is equilibrium potential
the potential at which there is no movement of an ion> it will try to reach this point if allowed to move freely
What is the equilibrium potential of
Na+ (sodium)
K+ (potassium)
Na+ = 62 mV K+ = -80mV
What is the resting membrane potential of the neurons we are studying?
-70mV
Is the sodium-potassium pump directly involved in the action potential?
no, but it helps to create the uneven distribution of ions that polarizes the cell and contributes to AP
What are factors acting on Sodium ions (NA+)
- Sodium in high concentration outside cell > wants to move down gradient to inside
- Sodium also attracted to -A protein inside cell
- Membrane is not very permeable to Sodium
- Sodium Potassium pump is sending Na+ out of cell
What are the factors acting on Potassum ions?
- Potassium in high concentration inside cell > wants to move out down the concentration gradient
- K+ is being brought in by the sodium-potassium pump
- K+ is attracted to A- protein
What are PSP’s
Post Synaptic Potentials > when neurotransmitters bind at postsynaptic receptors and cause electrical changes
How does an EPSP affect the electrical charge of the cell?
Excitatory PSP’s makes the membrane potential less negative (depolarization) and more likely that the neuron will fire
How does an IPSP affect the electrical charge of the cell?
Inhibitory PSP’s makes the membrane potential more negative (hyperpolarization) and less likely that the neuron will fire
What is the mechanism that causes IPSP’s to make the membrane potential more negative?
Protein channel opens to allow Cl- into the cell making it more polarized
What is the mechanism that causes EPSP’s to make the membrane potential more positive (depolarization)?
Protein channels open to allow Na+ in
What does it mean the PSPs are graded?
They vary in size
When will a neuron fire an action potential?
When the membrane potential reaches -65Mv at the AXON INITIAL SEGMENT
How do EPSPs and IPSPs travel?
Passively from their site of origin > get smaller as they travel
What is integration in regards to the action potential
integration of several post synaptic potentials is needed for a neuron to reach -65Mv and fire an action potential.
What are the two types of integration?
Spatial summation: integration of PSPs happening at different places
Temporal summation: integration of PSPs happening at different times
At what phase in the AP are sodium channels opened? When are they closed?
Opened: The rising phase
Closed: Peak of rising phase +50mV
When are the Potassium channels opened during the AP?
When are they closed?
Opened: delay open after Na+ channels
Closed: start to close at -70 mV, results in hyperpolarization and a potential of -80mV
Why does the neuron hyperpolarize to -80mV?
Because the potassium is being pushed quickly out by sodium ions and -80mV is it’s equilibrium potential (desired state)
What brings the neuron back to resting potential?
random motion (concentration gradient) and sodium-potassium pump
What is an absolute refractory period
> When it is impossible to initate another AP
>Sodium channels are inactivated/closed and need time until they will open again
What is the relative refractory period?
> period of time when the sodium channels are open but the cell is still depolarized below resting potential
harder for an AP to be fired
What does the refractory period do?
> Prevent the backwards movement of APs and limit the rate of firing
What are 3 features of Action Potentials
> Nondecremental
Conducted more slowly than PSPs
Passive and active
What is antidromic conduction?
Orthodromic conduction?
Antidromic: toward cell body
Orthodromic: down axon towards dendrites