neurophysiology for neurotransmitters part 1: excitability Flashcards
what is the current model of the cell membrane?
fluid mosaic model
what are channels
gated aqueous pores
the gates control whether ions can transverse pore.
what does a channel respond to?
gating stimulus (ie transmembrane volatage, binding of ligand, temperature, mechanical distortion of membrane)
what is part of the channel that determines which ions can move through the channel
selectivity filter
what do internal binding site in channel allow for?
internal binding site allow modulation of channel function by signalling pathways
what is current?
movement of charge
what carries charge in biological systems?
ions
what is a circuit element that resists charge?
resistor
relationship of conductance and resistance?
conductance = reciprocal of resistance
what is OHM’s Law?
V = IR
where V = voltage
I = current
R = resistance
what is equation for resistance?
Resistance = 1/G; G = conductance
what is a circuit element that can store charge?
capacitor
ion channels = what part of RC circuit
resistive elements (conductors of ions)
lipid bilayer = what part of RC circuit
insulator (cf dielectric of capacitor: stores charge= capacitance)
passive response = RC circuit
what is the consequence of the RC structure
electrical signals slowed by the capacitor(b/c it stores charge) —> membrane with time constant (time for membrane potential to fall to 1/e of original potential charge)
what does it mean if membrane semipermeable to ions?
permeable to some ions and not others
which ion are cells permeable to at rest?
K+
what maintains differen concentrations of the principal ion species?
what is membrane potential usually?
Na+/K+ ATPase
-70mV
if the membrane potential were only permeable to a single species, which equation would you use to find the equillibrium potential for that ion species?
Nernst equation: Eion = 61 log ([ion]outside/[ion]inside)
which equation predicts which ion species is dominating membrane permeability under a given set of circumstances?
Nernst
which equation predicts the membrane potential at equilibrium when all permeant ion speices are taken into account?
Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation
the electrogenic Na+/K+ ATPase that maintains membrane potential moves what?
3Na+ out for every 2K+ moved in
just know: Ca-ATPase transports Ca2+ ions across the cell membrane
the distributed geometry means of neurons means that not all membrane in he cell is ________at a given time
isopotential
passive conduction; cable properties
voltage is maximal at ___1______and the amplitude of the singal ___2____with distance from that point
- maximal at the point of stimulation
- amplitude of the signal decays exponentially with distance from that point (decay is symmetrican and bidirectional in uniform axon)
what is the time constant?
time for the singal to decay to 1/e of the maximum (where e is base of natural log =2.718). tme constant = characteristic of the gemoetry and properties of the cable. time constat longer for a larger diameter cable b/c there is a greater cross sectional area for charges to move along surface area
is time course slowed with distance? what is this due to?
yes. due to charge leaking across the membrane (and also to charging of the membrane capacitance). slowing of response is due to charging the membrane capacitance along the distributed cable.