Lec 12: Electrical Signals II Flashcards
AP propagation aka
(conduction)
(AP propagation/conduction)
APs move…
down the axon from the point of origin (usually the Axon Hillock region)
(AP propagation/conduction)
The depolarization at one region will
spread passively to surrounding regions
(AP propagation/conduction)
- The magnitude of the initial depolarization is…
- This is known as…
- lower at sites distant from the initial site.
- “electrotonic spread” or “passive spread” and it’s distance is determined by the length (space) constant, Lambda
(AP propagation/conduction)
- Lambda =
- and is determined by: (2)
= the distance it takes for the voltage response to decay to 37% of its original magnitude
- ) Axon diameter
- ) Presence or absence of myelination
(AP propagation/conduction)
- Passive electrotonic spread of the depolarization is not
- The take home message is that
- AP conduction, but helps to explain it
- depolarizations spread passively to surrounding regions!
(AP propagation/conduction of an Unmyelinated Axon)
5 Steps:
- ) At the start, the membrane is completely polarized
- ) (Passive depolarization spreads) When the action potential is initiated, a region of the membrane depolarizes. The adjacent regions become depolarized
- ) When the adjacent region is depolarized to its threshold, an action potential starts there.
- ) Depolarization occurs due to the outward flow of K+ ions. The depolarization spreads forwards, triggering an action potential. (The AP may be able to travel in reverse?)
- ) Depolarization spreads forward, repeating the process
(In the 5th step of AP propagation/conduction of an Unmyelinated Axon)
- The AP does not…
- because it is…
- However, passive spread is important in…
- fade (decay) like the passive spread of depolarization
- regenerated (in an “all or none” fashion) at successive regions along the axon
- setting up the AP from one region to the next region
(Anatomy of myelinated axon)
- Made up of…
- Each sheath is…
- Acts to…
& this: (2) - Performed by: (2)
- The gaps between sheaths are the…
- Myelination allows for…
- Note that the ____ ____ __ ______ are present only at…
- Multiple intermittently spaced sheaths of membranes wrapped around the axon
- spaced evenly along the axon length.
- insulate
1. ) Increases resistance
2. ) Decreases capacitance
- ) Oligodendrocytes in CNS
- ) Schwann cells in PNS
- Nodes of Ranvier
- more rapid conduction velocities
- voltage-gated Na+ channels, the Node!
(AP propagation/conduction of an Myelinated Axon)
5 Steps:
- ) In myelinated neurons, an action potential is triggered at the axon hillock, just before the start of the myelin sheath. The depolarization then spreads along the axon.
- ) Due to myelination, the depolarization spreads passively to the next node
- ) The next node reaches its threshold, and a new action potential is generated
- ) The cycle is repeated, triggering an action potential at the next node
- ) The process continues.. resulting in Saltatory Conduction
(In the 2nd step of AP propagation/conduction of an Myelinated Axon)
- The depolarization passively spreads…
- because…
- The passive spread is sufficient to…
- further along the axon in a myelinated vs. an unmyelinated axon
- the insulating myelin sheath prevents current leakage and effectively increases the lambda.
- bring the next node to above threshold level allowing for the AP to “skip” from node to node
How is the electrical signal transmitted from cell to cell?
Synapses (located at the terminal branches of axon)
2 Types of Synapses:
- ) Electrical (cells are “electrically coupled”)
2. ) Chemical (uses a neurotransmitter)
All synapses have at least __ cells
& what are they?
- 2 cells:
- ) Presynaptic cell
- ) Postsynaptic cell
(with Synaptic cleft = space in between the 2 cells)
Synaptic cleft =
= space in between the 2 cells
(Electrical Synapse)
1.) Involves…
- ) Composed of…
- ) The channel (“hemichannel”) of each pore (connexon) is…
- ) Each pore is composed of…
- ) Depolarization (AP) in one cell will…
- ) Important in…
- ) Gap Junctions (minimal synaptic cleft, 3.5 nm)
- ) pores that connect the cytoplasm of one cell to the next
- ) matched with the channel of a pore on the adjacent cell
- ) 6 protein subunits known as a connexin
- ) spread to the next electrically coupled cell
- ) cardiac muscle and some CNS synapses
(Chemical Synapse)
1.) AP in presynaptic cell (neuron) initiates…
- ) Neurotransmitter (chemical ligand) diffuses…
- ) Upon binding, the receptor initiates…
- ) the release of neurotransmitter (from synaptic vesicles) into the synaptic cleft (at presynaptic membrane of terminal bulb).
- ) across the cleft and binds to a specific receptor on the postsynaptic cell membrane (neuron or effector organ) (#2 in diagram).
- ) an electrical event (depolarization or hyperpolarization) that begins at post synaptic membrane of the postsynaptic cell (could be a multistep process) (#3 & #4 in diagram).
4 Types Different Neurotransmitters Discussed:
- Each presynaptic cell has only…
- Thus that cell is always either…
- ) Acetylcholine
- ) Catecholamines
- ) Amino Acids & derivatives
- ) Neuropeptides
- one main neurotransmitter
- excitatory or inhibitory
Acetylcholine is important in…
excitatory or inhibitory?
- PNS
- (excitatory)
Catecholamines function as…
excitatory or inhibitory?
- adrenalin-related compounds
- excitatory or inhibitory responses
4 Types of Amino acids & derivatives (Neurotransmitters):
Where they function?
(excitatory or inhibitory?)
GABA: CNS (inhibitory)
Glycine: CNS (inhibitory)
Serotonin: CNS (excitatory)
Glutamate: CNS (excitatory