Membrane Physiology, Nerve, and Muscle Flashcards
Fick’s law of diffusion states that flux is proportional to?
(Surface area x Concentration difference) / Membrane Thickness
Three factors affecting rate of diffusion and how?
Concentration difference - proportional to rate accdg to fick law
Potential difference - electric forces
Pressure difference - higher pressure means faster diffusion
Define osmotic presssure
Amount of pressure required to stop osmosis
What is an osmole?
1 gram molecular weight of osmotically active substance
Osmolality vs osmolarity?
Osmolality - osmoles per kg water
Osmolarity - osmoles per liter solution
Osmolality determines osmotic presure, osmolarity is easier measured
Calcium channel and sodium channels play a role in depolarizing phase of the action potential. How to they differ?
Calcium - slow channel, sustained depolarization
Sodium - fast channel, initiation of action potential
Opening of the fast channels in cardiac muscle cause what?
Spike portion of action potenntial
Opening of the slow channels in cardiac muscle cause what?
Plateau of action potential - sustains contraction
How does the voltage gated potassium channel contribute to the plateau in action potential
Channels are slower to open, usually when plateau ends and Na and Ca channels close
Muscle type with no troponin
Smooth muscle
Regulatory protein in smooth musckle which initiates contraction
Calmodulin
Small invaginations of cell membrane about the surface of the sarcoplasmic tubules
Caveolae
Membrane spanning protein used to create gap junctions in cells
Connexin
Activator and inhibitor of NMDA receptor
Glutamate - activate
Magnesium ion - inhibit
Unphosphorylated myosin bridges bound to actin
Latch bridges
Composition of water in the body, in percentage
60% water (40% ICF 20% ECF)
out of 20% (80% interstitial fluid 20% plasma)
Logic behind membrane potential (in terms of diffusion and physics)
Na higher concentratin outside, K higher inside. Diffusion from higher to lower concentration creates difference in net charge, hence membrane potential
Resting membrane potential of a normal nerve fiber
-90 mV
potential inside is more negative
Function of the Na-K pump (ions and direction)
3 Na ions pumped outside
2 K ions pumped inside
Contributory factors for resting membrane potential
Diffusion potential of K (most impt)
Diffusion potential of Na (goldmann equation)
Na-K pump (extra -4mV due to more + ions going out)
Mechanics of the voltage gated sodium channel
Resting state -entry gate closed, exit gate open
Depolarization to a voltage of -70 to -50 causes conformational change, opening entry channel, causing more sodium to go inside
Same conformational change closes the exit channel but more slowly, When it closes, depolarization ends
When resting membrane potental returns to original, exit gate will reopen
Mechanics of the voltage gated potassium channel
Closed at rest
Opens slowly when potential rises toward zero, around time when sodium channel closes
Potassium exits cell, causing repolarization
Toxin that blocks sodium channels`
Tetrodotoxin
Toxin that blocks potassium channels
Tetraethylammonium
Why is potassium conductance greater than sodium conductance at resting state
Potassium leak channels make membrane more permeable to K
Effect of hypocalcemia on sodium channels
Na channels opened by a lower increase in membrane potential - making it more excitable. In muscles, it causes muscle tetany
What is the threshold for stimulation (quantity and logic)
-65 mV - membrane potential required to start action potential
when sodium entering is more than potassium exiting
Mechanism of propagation of action potential
Inward diffusing sodium ions in a depolarizing segment also increase voltage in adjacent membrane, causing that to depolarize too. It traves in all directions until entire membrane is depolarized
Mechanics of Na-K pump
Active transport - ATP requiring
3 Na out of cell for 2 K into cell.
Returns Na and K to original positions