Lecture 10. Calcium Dependent Exocytosis Flashcards
What is on the extracellular side of the membrane ?
A local positive charge on the outside of the membrane
What is on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane ?
A local negative charge on the inside of the membrane
What does the charge separation at the membrane result in ?
Resting membrane potential
How does the potential arise ?
If the positive charges are allowed to, they will move back down across the gradient into the interior of the cell
What allows the potential to be held within the resting membrane potential ?
Holding the positive charges outside the cell against the concentration gradient
What are two things that contribute to the potential ?
- Chemical gradient
2. Electrical gradient
What are the proteins embedded in the membrane that influence the potential ?
- Potassium leak channels
2. Sodium potassium ATPase
What happens when potassium leak channels are accessible ?
Ions move out of the cell down their concentration gradient to deplete the extent of the potassium gradient between the inside and outside of the cell
What does sodium potassium ATPase do ?
It constantly hydrolyses ATP. It pumps out the three sodium ions and co-transports inwards two potassium ions. This transaction increases the positive charge outside the cell increasing the charge separation
What is the concentration of sodium outside the cell ?
120mM
What is the concentration of sodium inside the cell ?
16mM
What is the concentration of potassium outside the cell ?
63.8mM
What is the concentration of potassium outside the cell ?
3mM
What is the function of the pump ?
Maintains the concentration gradients and the charge separations and in that is stored the membrane potential
What allows the neuron to do work ?
The membrane potential
What causes the neuron to fire and release the neurotransmitter ?
Depolarisation
What is a huge amount of the neuron’s energy budget spent on ?
Pumping sodium out and potassium in
When do neurons typically depolarise ?
When gated ion channels open when a signal binds to these channels
What causes the channels to open and ions to flow in ?
The signal binds to the receptor on the gated ion channel which causes it to change its shape
What happens when a ligand binds to the channel ?
The ion channel is gated by the ligand and allows ion in causing sodium to rush in down the concentration and charge gradient
What does the resting membrane potential tend to be around ?
-65-70 mV
What happens when sodium ions rush into the negative cell ?
They depolarise the cell making it more positive. The resting membrane potential moves upwards towards zero because of the influx of positively charged sodium cations
What is a small depolarisation known as ?
A failed initiation that is insufficient to trigger the firing of an action potential
What are the two types of sodium gated channels ?
- Ligand gated sodium channels
2. Voltage gated sodium channels
What causes the first channels to open ?
The ligand binding and allows sodium to flow into the channel, changing the voltage of the membrane but not enough to cross the threshold
What causes the voltage gated ion channels to open ?
The change in voltage caused by the opening of ligand gated sodium channels, further depolarising the cell and allowing the potential to reach the threshold