Nervous System Flashcards
What maintains the Na+ & K+ gradients in a neurone?
the Na+/K+ ATPase
What happens when a neurone is stimulated?
- the gated ion channels open
- this causes a change in membrane potential producing a graded potential
- once the threshold potential is reached, an action potential is fired up
Where is org- found?
Inside of the cell. They never leave.
Neurones are very _______
excitable or responsive to stimulit
What determines the permeability of the cell membrane to ions?
- ion channels = ions diffuse through them down their concentration gradient.
What are the important ions that contribute to the electrical properties of a neurone?
Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl- & large negatively charged organic ions
What types ion channels are found on the cell membrane?
- Gated ion channels
- Non-gated ion channels (leakage channels)
Explain the importance of the higher amount of K+ non-gated ion channels in a neurone.
- this means that the cell is more permeable to K+ which causes them to diffuse out of the cell due to concentration gradient
- As more K+ leave, the inside of the cell because more -ve, causing Na+ to go in due to the opposite charge attraction (But there are not a lot of Na+ non-gated channels, so the inside of the cell won’t become too positive)
- This movement happens until the cell reaches -70mv, where Ka+ going out = Na+ going in
Where is a neurone usually stimulated and what happens when it is stimulated?
- cell body or the dendrites
- when stimulated, an electrical impulse may be generated and passed on through the axon (nerve impulse)
What causes the electrical properties of cells?
- the ionic concentration differences (gradient) across membrane
- permeability of cell membrane to ions
What are the different types of gated ion channels and what are they responsible for?
- voltage gates = deals with membrane voltage changes
- chemical gates = deals with chemicals eg. binding of hormones/neurotransmitter
- thermal gates = deals with temperature
- mechanical gates = deals with mechanical deformation
what is the voltage of threshold
-55mv
What is a Resting Membrane Potential (RMP)?
- when the neurone is at rest or not stimulated, there’s a charge difference (potential difference) that exists across the cell membrane called membrane potential
What is the role of a non-gated channel or leakage channel in a neurone?
- they are always open
- they are very important in establishing Resting Membrane Potential
- They are more permeable to K+ at rest, therefore higher concentration of K+ is found inside of the cell rather than Na+
Cl- is repelled by what? What does this mean
Org- ions. It means that the Cl- concentration is higher outside of the cell
Explain the role of the Na+/K+ ATPase further.
- The ATPase is not a channel.
- it breaks down 1 ATP and uses the energy to pump out 3 Na+ and 2 K+ in.
- as a result, it maintains the concentration gradient of Na+ and K+. and contributes little +ve inside the cell (only 2 K+ go in and 3 Na+ go out)
What is the role of gated ion channels in a neurone?
- they are only active during stimulation.
- they open their gates in response to stimuli
What is the voltage of an RMP?
- about -70 mV
Is the Na+/K+ ATPase a channel?
no
What is the net movement of charge in a RMP?
0
What factors determined the rate of propagation and explain why.
1) Fibre (axon) diameter = the larger the diameter, the faster the propagation because there is less resistance to the ion flow or current
2) myelination = in unmyelinated axons, the AP travels all throughout the axon (Na+ ion channels are adjacent to each other), making it a continuos conduction, therefore it’s slower
- in a myelinated axon, the AP travels at the nodes of ranvier (the ion channels are only present here), making it a leaping/saltatory conduction, meaning faster
What determines the RMP?
- Na+/K+ ATPase
- the negatively charged organic ions trapped inside the cell
- the higher amount of K+ non-gated channels than Na+ channels
What is a Graded Potential (GP) and what are the possible results?
- when stimulation causes small changes in RMP
- stimulation usually occurs on the dendrites or cell body which causes gated ion channels to open?
- depolarization & hyperpolarization
Does the Na+/K+ ATPase pump both down or against their concentration gradient?
against because this is active transport
What is a relative refractory period and why does this happen?
- when an AP cannot be generated after it has been fired BUT can be fired with a larger than normal stimulus. This happens during phase d or hyperpolarization. If the stimulus can reach the threshold, an AP can be fired up again.
What is the voltage of hypepolarization?
Less than -55 mV
What is depolarization?
when the cell because less -ve or more positive +ve
What happens after a GP?
- repolarization = the return to RMP after depolarization or hyperpolarization
What is hyperpolarization?
When the cell becomes more -ve
List the characteristics of GP?
- Graded Potentials move passively
- they can summate (eg. 2 GP’s can occur together which overall create the resulting GP)
- GP’s are short distance signals meaning they die away quickly
- the magnitude and distance travelled by the GP is determined DIRECTLY by the strength of the stimulus (eg. larger stimulus, larger GP)
What is the role of a GP?
- it is important in initiating an Action Potential
- if the GP causes depolarization and if it’s large enough (due to a critical stimulus or multiple GP’s added together) to reach threshold, then an AP will be fired up
What are electrically excitable cells?
- nerve or muscle cells
- they are capable of producing departures from RMP due to stimulation
What is an Action Potential?
It is a large change in membrane potential that propagates along an axon with a consistent intensity?
What is the voltage of an action potential?
+30 mV
What happens during depolarization?
- More voltage-gated Na+ channels open making the membrane more permeable
- This causes more Na+ to diffuse into the cell and at the same time open more voltage-gated Na+ channels (positive feedback mechanism)
- This continues to happen until the cell becomes +30 mV
How many Action Potentials are needed to cause measurable change in ion in the cell?
- 10,000
What type of gates are operating in an AP
ONLY voltage gates
What is an absolute refractory period?
- A time when an AP cannot be summated or generated despite the how strong the stimulus is.
What are the steps to achieving action potential?
critical stimulus –> reaching threshold –> AP
Why can’t another AP be summated or generated during an absolute refractory period?
Because all voltage-gated Na+ channels are activated or open (region b or depolarization) OR all the Na+ channels are deactivated or closed (region c or repolarization)
What is an IPSP and what types of nT activate this?
- Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential
- In which graded potential becomes hyperpolarization due to the opening of K+ ion channels or Cl- ion channels
- this prevents the cell from achieving an AP
- glycine or GABBA
Explain the propagation of an Action Potential
once the action potential is fired up in a cell, the +ve ions travel through the the axon to the terminal ends and reaches the adjacent membrane. the previous +ve ions depolarizes the adjacent membrane reaching the threshold and an AP occurs. Then
What is an EPSP? And what nTs usually activate this?
- Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential
- in which, a graded potential becomes depolarization due to the opening of Na+ or Ca2+ ion channels, or the closing of K+ ion channels
- acetylcholine or glutamate
What are the types of gates operating in a graded potential?
- thermal, mechanical and chemical
What is a synapse?
a junction where a presynaptic neurone and a postsynaptic neurone connect for transmission
Do the Na+/K+ ATPase work continuously? why or why not?
Yes, to maintain the concentration gradients
Explain the procedure of a PSP
- many neurones can synapse into one neurone –> if a lot of EPSP’s are generated –> summation occurs –> large are of membrane is the depolarized –> spreads to the axon hillock –> If EPSP’s reach the threshold, an AP will be fired
- BUT the neurone can get IPSP’s too –> the sum of the IPSP’s and the EPSP’s will determine wether an AP can be achieved
When does the cell return to RMP?
once the K+ gated channels close
What happens during repolarization?
- voltage-gated Na+ channels begin to close making the membrane less permeable to Na+ = as a result, the Na+ movement returns to resting levels
- voltage-gated K+ channels begin to open, diffusing out K+ from the cell which causes the cell to become more -ve
Explain the synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junction?
- this takes place at the junction between an axon terminal of a neurone and an individual muscle fibre
- the nT is released from the neurone (always ACh)
- the Na+ gated ion channels open on the muscle motor end plate which is called the sarcolemma
- GP is generated which causes an End Plate Potential or EPP
- EPP triggers AP on sarcolemma
- lots of ACh is released in, therefore AP is always guaranteed to happen
Describe a Type A axon/fibre.
- large diameter,
- myelinated
- propagates AP at about 130m/s
- usually found in sensory & motor neurons, and skeletal muscles
Explain the steps of a synaptic transmission.
1) AP reaches the axon terminal (at the synaptic end bulb)
2) Ca2+ gated ion channels open due to the AP, allowing Ca2+ from the outside to diffuse in.
3) The rise of Ca2+ inside the membrane, triggers exocytosis of neurotransmitter in vesicles
4) the Nts cross the synapse and bind to the designated receptors on the postsynaptic membrane
5) gated ion channels open, allowing movement of ions in our out of the cell
6) this causes a graded potential called Postsynaptic Potential or PSP
Describe a Type C axon/fibre
- small diameter
- unmyelinated
- propagates AP at about 0.5 m/s
- found in autonomic nervous system and some pain fibres
What direction do AP’s move to?
They move in one direction because the previous membrane is in refractory period
Where do APs travel faster, a myelinated or an unmyelinated axon?
myelinated
What is the all-or-none phenomenon?
An AP can either fire up or not. It is always the same intensity when fired (+30 mv)
What happens after hyperpolarization?
- voltage-gated K+ channels stay open longer than necessary
- voltage-gated Na+ opens or becomes reactivated to allow the cell for future stimulation
What is the voltage of depolarization?
-55 mV and above
What makes up the central nervous system?
The brain and the spinal cord
What is the afferent nervous system
nerves responsible for sensing a stimulus and sending signals/info about the stimulus to the central nervous system