Nerve Impulses Long Answer

Question 1

Stages involved in an action potential

Answer 1

• voltage gates sodium channels open and sodium ions flood into the axon
• this causes the inside to become positive compared to the outside
• the difference in change across the axon changes to around +40mV after about 0.6ms the voltage gated sodium channels close
• the potassium channels open up and potassium ions flood out of the axon
• This net movement of ions causes the inside to become negative compared to the outside
• this is repolarization