Neuronal Communication Flashcards
1st to 5th second during action potential
1- polarised resting potential difference 2- depolarisation 3- repolarisation 4- hyper polarisation 5- repolarised resting potential
Nervous response electrical impulse pathway
Receptor, sensory neurone, relay neurone, motor neurone , effector cell
Node of ranvier
Found between each adjacent Schwann cell
In myleniated neurones this creates gaps in the myelin sheith, allowing electrical impulses to jump between gaps
Sensory neurone
Transmit impulses from sensory receptor cells to a relay neurone, motor neurone or the brain
They have one dendron, carries impulse to cell body
They have one axon, carries impulse away from cell body
Relay neurones
Transmit impulses between neurones
E.g between sensory neurones and motor neurones
Many short axons and dendrons
Motor neurones
Transmit impulses from relay or sensory neurone to an effector, such as a muscle or a gland
One long axon and many short dendrites
Myelinated neurones
Axons covered in myelin sheith, made of many layers of plasma membrane
Schwann cells produce these layers of membrane by growing around the axon many times
Each time they grow around the axon a double phospholipid bilayer is laid down
20 layers when Schwann cell stops growing
Mylien sheith acts as an insulator meaning electrical impulses travel and much faster speeds
What is resting potential
Minus 70 milli volts
Resting potential is the difference in charge between the inside and the outside of the axon
Membrane is said to be polarised
What is the pacinian corpuscle
Specific sensory receptors that detect mechanical pressure, and convert it into electrical energy
Enable you to know which joints are changing direction
End of the sensory neurone is found within the centre of the corpuscle, surrounded by layers of connective tissue, each layer is separated by a layer of gel
Creation of resting potential
- Na+ are actively transported out of the axon while K+ is transported in by a specific intrinsic protein known as the sodium potassium pump
- movement of sodium out (3)> potassium in (2)
- sodium ions outside the membrane diffuse back in down an electrochemical gradient, whereas potassium ions diffuse out
- most of the gated sodium channels are closed whereas the potassium channels are open allowing k+ to move out
- meaning there are more positively charged ions outside the axon than in the cell
What is action potential
When a stimulus is detected by the sensory receptor the energy reverses charges on the axon membrane causing the membrane to become positively charged +40mv
Stages of action potential (1-3)
- neurone has resting potential, potassium channels are open , sodium voltage gated ion channels are closed
- energy from the stimulus triggers some sodium voltage gated ion channels to open, sodium therefore diffuses into the axon down their electrochemical gradient making the inside less negative
- this change in charge causes more sodium ion channels to open, allowing more sodium ions to diffuse into the axon
Stages of action potential (4-6)
- When the potential difference reaches +40mv the voltage gated sodium channels close and potassium channels open
- potassium ions diffuse out of the axon down their electromagnetic gradient reducing the charge inside the axon
- inside becomes more negative than usual resting state “ hyper-polarisation” , potassium pumps close. Sodium potassium pump restores resting potential
What is the refractory period
After an action potential has been stimulates the membrane enters a refractory period where it cannot be stimulated
Importance of refractory period
- creates discrete impulses, meaning each action is separate from each other
- ensures action potential travels in one direction
Limits number of impulses travelling, preventing overstimulation
Propagation of action potential
axon is at resting potential
Stimulus causes a sudden influx of sodium ions, membrane is depolarised
Localised electrical Circuits established by the influx of sodium ions cause sodium voltage gated channels to open further down the axon
Behind this sodium gates close and potassium gates open leading to potassium ions leaving the axon down an electrochemical gradient
Action potential is propagated along the whole way
Membrane becomes hyper polarised then reaches resting
Benefits of salutatory conduction
Faster
More efficient due to less ATP use
Factors effecting speed at which an action potential travels
Axon diameter- wider = faster due to less resistance of flow of ions in the cytoplasm
Temperature- higher temp, faster the nerve impulse as ions diffuse faster at higher temperatures, pumps and channels may become denatured at temperatures too high
Myelinatation
What is the all or nothing principle
A certain level of stimulus , threshold value, always triggers a response
If threshold is reached membrane is depolarised , action potential is then generated
Synaptic cleft
Gap which separates the axon of one neurone from the dendrite of the next neurone
Presynaptic neurone
Neurone along which impulse has just traveled
Postsynaptic neurone
Neurone that receives the neurotransmitter
Synaptic knob
Swollen end of the presynaptic neurone
Contains many mitochondria and large amounts of endoplasmic reticulum to enable it to manufacture neurotransmitters
Synaptic vesicles
Vesicle containing neurotransmitters.
The vesicles fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release their contents into the synaptic cleft