MIDSEM PREP (E) Flashcards
What is general cell RMP (intracellular)?
-70mV
What is AR cell RMP?
-60mV
What is AR cell threshold level (mV)?
-40mV
What is AR cell depolarised MP (mV)?
0mV
What is myocardial cell RMP?
-90mV
What is myocardial threshold level (mV)?
-70mV
What is myocardial cell depolarised MP (mV)?
+30mV
What is contained within the following region of the sarcomere:
I band.
I band:
Actin and titin (thin filament only).
What is contained within the following region of the sarcomere:
H zone.
H zone:
Myosin and titin (thick filament only).
What is contained within the following region of the sarcomere:
Z line.
Z line:
Actin and titing (attachment or anchoring point).
What is contained within the following region of the sarcomere:
M zone.
M zone:
Myosin and proteins holding it in place (thick filament attachment to cytoskeleton).
What is contained within the following region of the sarcomere:
A band.
A band:
Entire length of thick filament, may contain thin filament depending on stage of contraction.
Provide 2 examples of SYMPORT across cell membrane, stating whether this is an active or passive process.
- SGLT - 2 sodium and one glucose in; 2AT.
2. One Na and one AA in; 2AT.
Provide 2 examples of ANTIPORT across cell membrane, stating whether this is an active or passive process.
- NaK ATPase - 3 Na+ out 2 K+ in; active.
2. Sodium hydrogen exchanger - 3 Na+ in one H+ out; active.
Provide 2 examples of UNIPORT across cell membrane, stating whether this is an active or passive process.
- Voltage gated K channels - efflux, 2AT.
2. Voltage gated Na channels - influx, 2AT.
Which substances are PERMEABLE to the cell membrane; and what properties deem them so? Provide examples.
Lipophillic (hydrophobic, non-polar) substances permeable - such as gases, urea, steroids.
Which substances are IMPERMEABLE to the cell membrane; and what properties deem them so? Provide examples.
Lipophobic (hydrophillic, polar) substances impermeable - such as sugars, AA, water.
For the following stage of sarcomere contraction, state the position (or movement) of the following regions: RELAXED... H zone - I bands - Z disks - A bands -
RELAXED... H zone - largest. I bands - largest. Z disks - furthest apart. A bands - NO CHANGE.
For the following stage of sarcomere contraction, state the position (or movement) of the following regions: CONTRACTING... H zone - I bands - Z disks - A bands -
CONTRACTING... H zone - narrowing. I bands - narrowing. Z disks - move towards each-other. A bands - NO CHANGE.
For the following stage of sarcomere contraction, state the position (or movement) of the following regions: CONTRACTED... H zone - I bands - Z disks - A bands -
CONTRACTED... H zone - disappeared. I bands - smallest. Z disks - closest together as they get. A bands - NO CHANGE.
What’re the 3 functional benefits to a cell, granted by it having a negative RMP?
Overall - ability to store potential energy.
- Cell signalling.
- Nerve transmission.
- Muscle contraction.
What is the general cell RMP (extracellular)?
0mV.
What % of membrane potential is made up by the efforts of NaK ATPase.
20%.
Overall, how is membrane potential established? (4)
- Effect of NaK ATPase.
- Na movement in isolation.
- K movement in isolation.
- Concurrent effects of Na and K.
Briefly explain the effect of NaK ATPase on membrane potential.
NaK pump moves 3Na+ out and 2K+ in; antiport. The majority of its effect is through the electrochemical gradient it establishes, and subsequent 2AT which it allows. Individually, it accounts for 20% of membrane potential.
What is the main influencer of membrane potential, Na or K, and why?
K+ is main influencer of membrane potential simply because the membrane is far more permeable to K then it is to Na. Subsequently, cell membrane potential is very close to the equilibrium potential for K+, at 70mV.
This being said Na movement DOES affect the RMP (working in the opposite direction, due to sodiums higher [] extracellular it brings positive charge in). The leakage of ions in both directions (as K and Na are both freely able to move across membrane) is offset by the work of the NaK pump.
Describe what is meant by the following term(s):
Nersnt potential.
Nersnt potential details the relationship between the magnitude of membrane electrical potential and the difference in ion concentration.
(basically - calculating membrane potential by accounting for charge in ions and there abundance)
The nernst potential increases by approx 60mV for each __x increase in concentration ratio.
(where [ratio] is the concentration of substance extracellular divided by concentration of substance intracellular)
10x.
What’re the 2 main points which can be concluded from the nernst potential relationship?
- A relatively small electrical potential difference can balance a large concentration difference across the membrane.
- Existence of a concentration gradient across a membrane in NOT evidence that work has to be done to move a particular species.
State the general speed of an action potential.
100 m/s.
What is the “equilibrium potential for K+”?
-70mV, this is reflected by the fact that K+ is the predominantly responsible for establishing RMP (as there are more K+ channels then Na+ channels).
Explain the general steps involved with voltage gated Na+ channels.
- Membrane at rest - (equilibrium potential for K) at -70mV. Activation gate is CLOSED; no Na current.
- Stimulus arrives - stimulus causes partial depolarisation, causes activation gate to open and Na to flow in down its electrochemical gradient.
- Positive feedback - self amplifying process, sodium continues to enter cell until +30mV achieved
- Na current reaches a maximum in 0.5msecs then rapidly falls to zero (despite cell membrane still being depolarised). This is due to abrupt closing of sodium channels, as the inactivation gate closes the channel.
- Na channel does not re-open until membrane potential returns to resting level (-70mV, the sodium channel has to be ‘reset’).
This whole process takes a few ms to complete.
Explain the general steps involved with voltage gated K+ channels.
- Potassium channels open slower then Na channels, at +30mV.
- K+ current (out of cell) reaches maximum after Na channel inactivated.
- K+ efflux returns membrane potential to -70mV quickly (channel opens slow but works fast).
- This works on the basis of ‘time delay’; K channel is delayed to allow for depolarization -> repolarisation
(note: K is slower to open but its effect is strong and long lasting - bringing membrane back to resting potential. Then, relative amounts of ions are maintained by NaK pump).
How long does it take for sodium inactivation gate to become active?
~0.5 ms.
What occurs in a nerve cell where it becomes depolarised, but only to a level BELOW threshold level?
If a nerve cell is depolarised below threshold there is a passive spread of electrical signal which deteriorates in strength at distance.
Explain what is meant by the following term(s):
Graded potential.
Graded potentials are small deviations from resting potential (-70mV). These signals (be they depolarisation or hyperpolarisation) are graded in that they vary in there amplitude depending on the strength of the stimulus, and are localised.
- small
- local
- strength dependent on stimulus
- most often occur in cell body/ dendrites.
a. ) Explain how nerve conduction speed varies in UNMYELINATED fibres?
b. ) By how much would conduction speed increase in an UNMYELINATED fibre, if there were a 100x increase in fibre diameter?
a. ) In unmyelinated regions there is a direct relationship between conduction velocity and axon diameter. This is as the larger the axon, the less resistance to current.
b. ) 100x increase of fibre diameter causes 10x increase in conduction velocity.
Do nodes of ranvier have a higher, or lower density of ion channels compared to unmyelinated fibres?
Higher; this in conjunction with saltatory conduction is responsible for the much higher velocity of impulse in myelinated fibres.
Provide 2 functional advantages of myelin.
- AP travels faster in small sized axons (such as optic nerve).
- Metabolic energy is conserved as active excitation is confined to nodes of ranvier.