L2 electric brain Flashcards
Name the atoms. (H, O, C, N, P, Na, K, Ca, Cl, Mg)
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Chlorine, Magnesium
Recipe for neurons.
Water (H2O), Salt (NaCl), Fat, Protein
Neurons are filled with… and bathed in…
intracellular fluid (cytosol, water); extracellular fluid (water) p.s. both fluids are salty water
Why water molecules stick together?
Electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonds, p.s. water is a polarized molecule
What push the charged ions?
Brownian motion and diffusion
Which side has higher chance to be pushed to?
Left than right
Average net current will be close to…? Unless…
Zero. Unless the movement of ions are organised
What are cell membranes made of?
Water-impermeable sheets of phospholipids (fat)
Can electricity flow in and out of cell membranes?
No
What is the basis of electrical currents in and around nerve cells?
The movement of electrically charged ions that are dissolved in water
When can electric currents flow through the membranes?
Through pores (channels)
What are proteins?
Chains of amino acids
How many amino acids are used to make all proteins?
20
Types of amino acids.
Fat soluble (lipophilic), water soluble (hydrophilic), charged and uncharged
Binding amino acids can form… (short chain, long chain)
Peptides (short chain), proteins (long chains)
What kinds of useful building blocks are formed when proteins fold?
Trans-membrane channels, enzymes, structural proteins
What do enzymes do?
Catalyse all sorts of biochemical reactions within the cell
What do trans-membrane channels do?
Regulate the movement of ions and other substances through the cell membrane
What do receptors do?
Sense the presence/ absence of certain substances in the fluids outside the cell membrane
What do structural proteins do?
Act like scaffolding and determine the cells shape
What do sodium-potassium pump (k+ leakage channels) do?
Actively transports Na+ out of the cell and K+ into the cell
What powers the sodium-potassium pump?
Energy provided by ATP
What powers the ion exchangers?
Concentration gradients
Name 2 ion exchangers.
Na+ (to in) - Ca++ (to out) exchanger
Bicarbonate (to in) - Cl- (to out) exchanger