LEC18: Membrane Excitability Flashcards by Allison Vise

what kind of channels are in membrane that exhibits passive membrane behavior?

what does this mean?

current flow across membrane of only voltage-independent “leak” channels

resulting voltage change: as predicted by Ohm’s law, w/ delay b/c of capacitance

V_m returns directly to original value when current ends

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what kind of channels are in membranes that show active properties?

membranes including voltage-dependent channels - conductances respond to changes in V_m, which is reflected in current value

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

how do excitable membranes show active behavior? what do they respond to?

respond to thrshold depolarization with an action potential: all or none, stereotyped sequence of V_m changes

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what is automaticity? what cells exhibit this?

cells that spontaneously & rhythmically generate action potentials

excitable cells that’re specialized to act as pacemakers do this

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

point on an action potential when:

threshold for initiatino
reversal of membrane polarity at the peak
afterhyperpolairzaiton before turn to Vm resting value

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what would the effect on depolarization of a membrane be if inward rectifiers close? why?

depolarization would be larger than expected b/c membraen conductance for K+ is reduced

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what controls resting potential of Vm in a neuron?

leak K+ channel

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what channels cause large spike in depolarization in a neuron?

opening of voltage-gated Na+ channels

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

at hte peak of an action potential in a neuron, which channels are open?

voltage-gated K+ channels begin to activate

Na+ channels inactivate

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which channels repolarize the membrane? which phase?

voltage-gated K+ channels and leak K+ channels

during afterhyperpolarization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what happens to the membrane to cause an action potential?

a strong enough stimulus depolairzes the membrane to threshold for an action potential initiation

result: rapid, lare depolarization

membrane then beings to repolarize

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which channels dominate at rest of action potential?

leak K+

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

once Vm is depolarized to the threshold, which channels are in action?

voltage-gated Na+ channels open, drive Vm toward VNa

these channels begin to inactivate soon aftr peak of depolairzation

voltage-gated K+ channels also activate, repolarize the membrane

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which channels repolarize the membrane of an action potential

voltage-gated K+ channels

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what does Vm approach during afterhyperpolarization? why?

approaches Vk

because until voltage-gated K+ channels deactivate, K+ conductance is larger than it was in resting membrane, making Vm get close to Vk

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

what kind of event is an action potential? what does this mean?

all or none - a stronger suprathreshold stimulus would cause Vm to reach threshold value more quickly, but wouldn’t change the shape of the subsequent action potential

what and when is the absolute refractory period?

right after action potential, it’s impossible to initiate another one

some time is required for recently inactivated Na+ channels to de-inactivate before they can generate another action potential

period ends when full complement of Na+ channels has been de-inactivated

what is state of channels during relative refractory pd? how might this show?

some Na channels have de-inactivated, but most have not

during this pd, may see small-amplitude, shallow slope spikes of Na+ channels as they de-inactivate

when does the refractory period end?

when full complement of Na+ channels has been de-inactivated

then can launch full new action potential

how does action potential travel down a neuron’s axon?

like a “wave” - action potential propagates down the axon

axon contains: leak K+ channels, voltage-gated and inactivating K+ and Na+ channels

1) voltage-gated Na+ channels open, Na+ enters cytoplasm, results in depolarization
2) depolarization spreads along membrane due to redistribution of charges per entry of uncompensated positive ions
3) per Na+ influx, K+ channels open, K+ exits cell through delayed rectifiers

membrane is repoalirzed, action potential terminated in that region

what do all excitable heart muscle cells have in common?

1) long phase of depolarization compared to neurons
2) prominent use of Ca²⁺ as the depolarizing charge carrier

are heart muscle cells usually depolarized or polarized? why?

usually depolarized

b/c mechanical pumping action of heart relies on contractions that last hundreds of milliseconds

describe action potential of the ventricles

At rest, cells are polarized at about -90 mV; Kir channels dominant conductance

1) Phase 0: membrane depolarizes to threshold for action potential initiation; voltage-gated Na+ channels activated; rapid depolarization & upstroke
2) Phase 1: early/fast repolarization; Na+ channels inactivate
3) Phase 2: plateau; delayed opening of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels; voltage-gated K+ channels slowly activate
4) Phase 3: repolarization; K+ current builds via various voltage-gated K+ channels, and Ca2+ current diminishes as voltage-gated Ca2+ channels inactivate
5) Phase 4: diastole: begins after membrane returns to well-polarized resting potential

what causes ventricular caridac muscle cell to return to its resting potential?

combination of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels inactivaing & voltage-gated K+ channels activating

what are the different heart muscle cells, what is each responsible for?

pacemakers: impulse generation His-purkinje: impulse propagation "working" muscle: contraction

what is normal sequence of events in cardiac cycle?

1) RA pacemaker cells spontaneously fire in the SA node, initiate an action potential 2) depolarization spreads through the atria, results in atrial contraction & stimulation of the AV node and His-Purkinje fibers that innervate ventricles 3) initiation, spread of action potentials in the ventricles, produces contraction that pumps blood to rest of the body

what does an electrocardiogram (ECG) show? what are the different parts of the line?

electrical activity of the various excitable cells & localization in the heart 1) 1st deflection: P-wave, depolarization of the atria, corresponds to Phase 0 of Atria 2) QRS complex, corresponds to Phase 0 of Ventricle 3) T-wave, corresponds to Phase 3 repolarization of ventricles

what is the Q-T interval? how long is it, normally?

the duration of the ventricular action potential and contraction \<450 ms normally

what happens in a patient with long QT syndrome?

delayed, slow repolarization can give rise to premature action potentials during Phase 3, without waiting for normal trigger from atria can lead to dangerous arrhythmia, called **torsade de pointes - ventricles contract in uncoordinated manner**, independent of normal atrial rhythm; reduces pumping efficiency of heart

what kind of pathology is LQTS?

"channelopathy," pathology caused by mutation in a channel

what cardiac channel mutations have been linked to LQTS?

1) voltage-gated Na+ channel; mutations impair inactivation, result in relative large inward current during plateau phase & deplayed repolarization 2) 2 of the voltage-gated K+ channels of Phase 3; causes delays and slows repolarization

what happens in LQTS w/ overexpression of hERG?

hERG is a K+ channel; mutated G628S site in pore of the channel, reduces its conductance