Neurophysiology Flashcards
Galvani
-electrical current applied to a dissected nerve causes the muscle connected to the nerve to twitch
-concluded that electricity flows along the nerve
-experiment was conducted on frogs
Fritsch and Hitzig
-electrical stimulation of the neocortex causes movement of arms and legs
-experiment was done on dogs
Bartholow
-First report of human brain stimulation
-1874
Caton
-first attempt to measure electrical currents of the brain using a voltmeter and electrodes on the skull
-performed on rabbits and monkeys
von Helmholtz
-flow of information in the nervous system is too slow to be a flow of electricity
Bernstein
-determined that the charge doesn’t travel along the axon, the wave does
Microelectrodes
-electrodes small enough to place on or in an axon
-can be used to measure a neuron’s electrical activity and deliver an electrical current to a single neuron
Oscilloscope
-serves as a sensitive voltmeter
-used to record voltage changes on an axon
Squid axon
-much larger than human axons
-easier to perform experiments on
-used to investigate the basis of action potentials
Resting membrane potential
-a store of negative energy on the intracellular side relative to the extracellular side
-approximately -50 to -80 mV
-found by a microelectrode inserted into a resting cell
Ion channels
-found in the lipid bilayer
-allow ions to pass through the membrane
-open in close in response to voltage changes, chemicals, or mechanical action
Passive channnels
-always open to a specific ion
-ungated channels allow potassium and chlorine to move in and out of the cell freely
Potassium channels
-lined with oxygen that mimic water molecules
-potassium can pass through the filter but sodium cannot
Gated channels
-normally closed, ions can’t freely pass
-gated sodium channels keep sodium ions out
-electrical, chemical, and physical
Active transporters
-ex: sodium potassium pump
-enzyme that breaks bond in ATP
-each ATP pushes 3 sodium ions out of cell and 2 potassium ions into the cell
Sodium and chloride ions are at a higher concentration ____ the cell
outside
Potassium and larger proteins are at a higher concentration _____ the cell
inside
Diffusion
-movement of ions down the concentration gradient
Voltage gradient
-difference in charge between 2 regions that allows a flow of current if the two regions are connected
Electrostatic pressure
-causes ions to flow to oppositely charged areas
What two opposing forces drive ion movement?
- diffusion
- electrostatic pressure
At rest, K+ ions move ______ the cell because of electrostatic pressure
inside
As K+ ions build up inside the cell, they also _____ out of the membrane along the _______ ________
diffuse, concentration gradient
Sodium-Potassium Pump
-used to maintain membrane potential
-creates concentration gradient by pumping 3 Na+ outside the cell for every 2 K+ pumped in
T/F the sodium-potassium pump requires ATP
yes because the pumping of ions is against the concentration gradient
Why is the extracellular space more positive?
-membrane is more permeable to potassium ions