Nervous system Flashcards
What is communication and a example
- connections between cells
- hormones: centrally secreted, act locally
- second messengers: signal transduction within cells
ex: plasmodesmata, gap junctions
All of these move by…
What is faster?
All move by slow diffusion
Electricity is way faster
How do we communicate with electric signals?
- Communication via electrical signals through nerve cells = neurons
Parts of the neuron
Cell body: has nucleus. Integrates incoming electrical signals
Dendrites: convert chemical signals to electrical signals. Sends towards the cell body
Axon: Conducts electrical signals out the cell body
Both axon and dendrite can do what and form what?
Both axon and dendrite branch out can form networks: electrical signal travel very fast
Networks are for
Network for information flow
Synapses are?
Connections between neurons (axon - dendrite) are called synapses
Explain electrical signal and chemical signals in the neuron?
Electrical signal is interrupted at the synapse: Chemical signals moves between axon terminal and dendrite
Starts a new electrical signal in the next neuron
Membrane potential of neurons is what kind of potential?
What are the charges on the outside and inside of the cell
Electrical potential across the membrane
Outside of cell: more positive charges
Inside of cell: more negative charges
What establishes the electrochemical gradient
NA+/K+ ATPase establishes electrochemical gradient
Explain process for resting potential
K+ leak channel allows K + only to flow along concentration gradient: Membrane potential increases → at equilibrium “Resting potential”
What channel closes? And what happens if it opens? What happens if you close it again
Na+ channel is closed
What happens if it opens? fewer positive charges outside and more positive charges in the inside. Overall voltage increases
Original polarity of the membrane disappears: The membrane is depolarized
If we close the channel again? Everything goes back to normal. The membrane will be repolarized
How the sodium-potassium pump works 8 steps
- Unbound protein
- Sodium binding
- Shape change
- Release
- Unbound protein
- Potassium binding
- Shape Change
- Release
Action potential: What are the three phases:
- Depolarization phase
- Repolarization phase
- Hyperpolarization phase
What causes the opening of the Na+ channel?
- Change in membrane potential
Na+ channel is a voltage gated ion channel
Steps for Na+ entering
Steps:
- Na+ enters axon, attracts negative and repelling positive charges
- Charge spreads: depolarizes
- Downstream voltage-gated channel opens in response to depolarization