Neural Function in Disease Flashcards
law of dynamic polarisation
there is a preferred cell-to-cell direction in which currents move
soma
cell body
Dendrite
collects signals from other neurons
Node of Ranvier
exposed axon that allows ions to diffuse in and out of the neuron
myelin sheath
insulation that speeds up transmission
Astrocytes
fills spaces between neurons in brain and most numerous cell in organ, mop up chemical messengers that accidently diffuse into intercellular space to stop signal going to wrong cells
how can ions move across a membrane
through pumps (active) or channels (passive)
where are K+ and negatively charged proteins concentrated?
cytoplasm
where are Na+, Cl- and Ca2+ concentrated?
the ECF (extracellular fluid)
at rest, state of potassium and sodium channels?
- At rest, leak potassium channels are open (not voltage dependant) and respond to pH, oxygen potential and mechanical stretch
- At rest, sodium channels are closed
resting potential of cell
-65mv due to large negative proteins that can’t diffuse out of cell
action potentials
short pulses of electricity fired when a neurone is stimulated, they are propagated along its length carrying information
process of generating an action potential
Sodium channels and voltage gated potassium channels are closed
Sodium channels open (depolarisation)
Sodium channel inactivate and voltage gated potassium channels open (repolarisation)
Voltage-gates potassium channels gradually close (hyperpolarisation)
what does a sequence of APs show?
long stimulus
After-hyperpolarisation
when the K+ tries to reach its own equilibrium potential of -80mV after repolarisation, so membrane potential undershoots before K+ VGICs can close
Depolarisation
change in polarity in the membrane potential of a cell
mechanism of voltage gated ion channels
- Na+ VGIC are closed at rest to maintain the resting potential
- A stimulus depolarising the membrane to -40mV distorts the protein to open it specifically to Na+ ions
- This rapidly causes much faster depolarisation for 1ms
- The channel inactivates by covering the pore and then closes when the protein returns to its resting configuration after repolarisation of the membrane, the physical pore power is removed
why K+ VGIC are much slower to reopen after depolarisation ?
entry of K+ resets the membrane potential to resting, during the refractory period after an AP the cell cannon generate another AP so that depolarisations are discrete.
propagation in unmyelinated neurones
In unmyelinated neurones, depolarisation at one point of the membrane (production of an AP) sets up local circuits, so depolarisation continues as a wave down the length of the neurone
salutatory conduction in myelinated neurones
Between myelin, there are gaps called Nodes of Ranvier where there is a high density of ion channels. APs are initiated in an axon hillock (part of cell body of a neurone that connects to the axon) and jump from one node to the next
factors that increase conduction velocity
Myelin, increased axon diameter and higher temperatures
Mechanoreceptors
unmyelinated fibres in the skin sensitive to stretch/bend/pressure
Mechanosensitive ion channels
gates opened by stretching of membrane
dermatome
the area of skin with innervation supplied by one nerve
stimulus detected by free nerve endings
Pain, temperature, crude touch
stimulus detected by pacinian corpuscles
Deep pressure, vibrations
synapses
gaps between neurones
neurotransmitter
endogenous chemical messenger that conveys neuronal information from a pre-synaptic terminal to its post synaptic target