Resting Membrane Potentials and Action Potentials Flashcards
Excitatory cells start in a non-excited state with a __________ voltage on the interior of the cell relative to the exterior
Negative
Excitatory cells such as muscles and neurons transmit electrochemical impulses at their ______
Membrane
What are the major players in the excitation of an excitatory cell?
Intracellular space Extracellular space Sodium (Na+) Potassium (K+) Na+/K+ ATPase pump
Describe the relative concentrations of K+ and Na+ inside vs. outside the cell
Inside the cell: High K+, Low Na+
Outside the cell: Low K+, High Na+
What maintains the following ion concentrations?
Inside the cell: High K+, Low Na+
Outside the cell: Low K+, High Na+
Sodium/Potassium ATPase pump
What are the 2 forces acting at the cell membrane to maintain ion concentrations?
Electrical force
Diffusion force
What is primarily responsible for the resting membrane potential?
Permeability of the plasma membrane to potassium ions
In what 2 primary ways does potassium move across the membrane?
Na/K ATP pump
K+ leak channels
How many Na+ and K+ are exchanged, and in what direction, for each molecule of ATP at the Na/K ATPase pump?
3 Na+ OUT
2 K+ IN
T/F: potassium leak channels are often open at ALL times, and they permit mostly unregulated passage
True
Which are more abundant in the cell membrane: K+ leak channels or Na+ leak channels?
K+ leak channels are present at 100:1 ratio to Na+ channels
Overall, passively ___ is more likely to leave the cell than ____ to enter
K+; Na+
Resting membrane potential is typically between _____ and _____
-80 to -90 mV
Diffusion forces operate on a __________ gradient
Concentration
Ions will travel down this concentration gradient
Electrostatic forces are _______-based, and opposites attract
Charge
Diffusion force + electrostatic force = ___________ force
Electrochemical
During movement of cations/anions across the membrane, charge will change on either side and ___________ (slow down/speed up) the movement of cations/anions
Slow down
____________ _____________ opposes diffusion based on charge; this is th epoint that net flow of ioins = 0
Equilibrium potential
___________ _________ is when electrical and chemical forces are equal and no net movement occurs
Electrochemical equilibrium
The equilibrium potential of a system can be calculated in several ways. How would you calculate the equilibrium potential for a single ion?
Nernst Equation
Movement of Na alone = +66 mV
Movement of K alone = -91 mV
A change in resting potential of +6 mV represents a net ion ________
Efflux
A change in resting potential of -29 mV will result in a net ______ of ions
Influx