Lecture 8 - Changing Membrane Potential Flashcards
How are changes in membrane potentials used in signalling?
Action potentials in nerves and muscle cells
Neuromuscular junctions
Hormone and neurotransmitter secretion
Postsynaptic actions of fast synaptic transmitters
What is depolarisation?
A cells membrane potential becoming more positive from its normal RMP
Cell interior is less negative
What is Hyperpolarisation?
When cell becomes more negative than its RMP
What is repolarisation?
A cell getting closer to its resting membrane potential
How can repolarisation be happening but the cell could be getting more positive or more negative?
If cell has just depolarised, the membrane potential gets more negative to get closer to RMP
If cell has just hyperpolarised, the membrane potential gets more positive to get closer to RMP
How does increasing membrane permeability to a particular ion affect the membrane potential?
Shifts the membrane potential towards the equilibrium potential for that ion
In an excitable cell describe what happens in terms of depolarisation, repolarisation and hyperpolarisation what happens when an action potential is fired starting with the Resting membrane potential stage RMP:
RMP
Depolarisation
Repolarisation
Hyperpolarisation
Repolarisation
Depolarisation
Repolarisation back to RMP
In an excitable cell, the cell membrane has an increased permeability to what ion in the FIRST DEPOLARISATION and which direction does this ion move?
Na+
Na+ INFLUX
Cell membrane potential made more positive (Towards ENa)
In an excitable cell, after the cell massively reduces its permeability to Na+ the cell membrane has an increased permeability to what ion in the FIRST REPOLARISATION and which direction does this ion move?
K+
K+ EFFLUX
Cell becomes more negative inside
What happens in the hyperpolarisation stage of an action potential?
Too much K+ EFFLUX
The K+ channels close slowly so too much moves out
How does the cell repolarise after the hyperpolarisation and how is later depolarisation caused?
(After the final depolarisation cell will repolarise back to RMP)
Na+/K+ ATPase helps re establish gradient
Overcompensation by Na+/K+ ATPase temporarily leads to further depolarisation
Opening of what ion channels will cause cell hyperpolarisation and why?
K+ channels
Too much K+ EFFLUX
Opening of Na+ or Ca2+ has what affect of a cell?
Depolarises (makes more positive inside)
What causes changes in membrane potential?
Changes to activity of ion channels (selective permeability)
How is the membrane potential of a cell determined when it is not perfectly selectively permeable to a single ion?
Depends on how permeable the membrane is to all the different ions determines their contribution of membrane potential
What equation takes into account different ions contributions to membrane potential?
GHK
What are the 3 ways by which channel activity (membrane permeability to an ion) so opening/closing can be controlled?
Ligand gating
Voltage gating
Mechanical gating
What is ligand gating in controlling membrane permeability to an ion?
A channel opens or closes in response to binding of a chemical ligand