Electrical properties of neurons Flashcards
What are the components of a typical neuron
- dendrites: receive input
- soma: cell body, protein synthesis occurs
- axon: can be short or long; carries information away from the cell
- presynaptic terminal: releases NT, and synapses with other neurons
Types of Neurons
- multipolar
- bipolar
- Pseudounipolar neuron
Multipolar neuron
- Multipolar neurons have many dendrites and a single axon.
- The neuron transmits information from the spinal cord to skeletal muscle (mostly)
- mostly motor neurons
Bipolar neuron
- used for special senses
- taste, smell
Pseudounipolar neuron
- a neuron that transmits information from the periphery into the central nervous system.
- These neurons are unique in having two axons:
~ a peripheral axon that conducts signals from the periphery to the cell body
and a
~central axon that conducts signals into the spinal cord.
Axoplasmic Transport
- the cellular mechanism that transports substances along an axon
- occurs in two directions
Anterograde
- fast
- substances required by the axon travel from soma to presynaptic terminal
- carries information (NT) towrad the presynaptic terminal
- Neurotransmitter produced in cell body
Retrograde
- material travels from presynaptic terminal to soma
- travels at variety of speeds
- gives information about what is going on at the terminal
How can travel speeds vary
- slows with aging and neurodegenerative diseases
Electrical transmission: what makes an electrical potential
- electrical potential exists when the distribution of ions creates a difference in electrical charge on each side of the cell membrane
- neurons function with rapid changes in electrical potential across the cell membrane
Ion channels
- Openings through membranes
- allows ions to pass through membranes
types of ion channels
A. Leak-allow diffusion of a small number of ions through membrane at a slow continuous rate; responsible for maintaining resting membrane potential
B. Ligand-gated—Opens in response to neurotransmitter binding (Chemical=neurotransmitter)
C. Voltage-gated—Opens in response to change in electrical potential– Important in formation of action potentials
D. Mechanically gated—Opens in response to mechanical forces Ex: stretch, touch, pressure, temp change
Electrical potentials in neurons
- how are they created
- what happens when channels in the membrane open?
- created by difference in ion concentration on each side of the cell membrane
- as soon as transmembrane channels open, ions will move through and potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy in the form of electrical current
Types of potentials essential for transmission of information
- resting membrane
- local potentials
- action potential
Resting membrane potential
- the difference in the electrical potential between the interior and exterior of the neuron when its “resting”
- essential to neuron function
- (-70mV) inside the cell
- electrochemical gradient
How is the electrochemical gradient maintained in resting membrane potential
- Passive diffusion of ions through leak channels
- The sodium/potassium (Na+/K+) pump
- Negatively charged molecules (anions) trapped inside the neuron because they are too large to diffuse through the channels
Describe the charges in resting membrane potential as well as the ions involved
- At rest, nerve cells are positively charged on the outside and negatively charged on the inside.
- The differences in charge across the membrane results from the differences in the distribution of positive ions and negative ions across the membrane
- more K+ inside the cell (salty banana)
- Na/K pump: pumps 2 K into the cell for every 3 NA out of the cell
Changes from resting potential
caused by and types of changes
- caused by ion flow through channels
- type types:
1. local potential
2. action potential
Local potential
- initial change in membrane potential
- spreads short distance across the membrane
Categories of local potentials
based on where it comes from
- receptor potential: sensory neurons; generated at sensory receptor (modality-gated and ligand-gated channels)
- synaptic potential: motor neurons; generated at post-synaptic membrane (result of stretch, compression, deformation, or exposure to thermal or chemical agents)