Electricity in the Body Flashcards
What is the Action Potential?
A brief electrical charge that travels down on neuron’s axon
What two features is the action potential dependent on?
Resting Membrane Potential - Difference in electrical charge across the cell membrane, inside + outside the cell when it is not actively transmitting an electrical signal
Ion Channels - Movement of ions in and out of the cell. In a resting state the inside of the cell negative electric charge relative to the positive outside of the cell
What has a higher concentration in and outside of the cell?
SODIUM - outside cell
POTASSIUM - inside cell
What is Depolarisation?
Movement of sodium into the cell changes the electrical charge to become positive temporarily
What is Repolarisation?
After rapid depolarisation, the cell returns to its negative state by the movement of potassium outside of the cell
What does the sodium potassium pump require?
Uses ATP to exit 3 sodiums, and bring in two potassium in the cell
Is the inside of the cell negative or positive?
Negative
What does the Defibrillator do?
To arrest the fibrillation of the heart muscle by applying electric shock across the the chest, thus depolarizing the heart cells and allowing normal rhythm to return.
What does the Diathermy do?
High frequency alternating current for the purpose cutting of tissue or caterizing of blood vessesl
What does the pacemaker do?
Produces pulses of current to stimulate the heart to contract
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Machine
Assists in alleviating labour pain by blocking the transmission of sensory information to the pain by stimulating sensory nerves
What to the PQRST Waves do?
P - depolarisation of both Atria
Q - ventricular depolarisation
R - depolarisation of left + right vascular myocardium
S - completion of depolarisation
T - rapid late repolarisation
