LESSON 4 Flashcards
(35 cards)
- for short distance communication
graded potentials
- for long distance communication
action potentials
4 types of ion channels
leakage channels
voltage-gated channels
ligand-gated channels
mechanically-gated channels
- protein channels present in the plasma membrane of neurons and muscle fibers which open and close to allow certain ions to move across the plasma membrane
ion channels
- Their gates randomly alternate between open and closed spots
leakage channel
- They open in reaction to a change in membrane potential (voltage)
voltage-gated channel
- These channels open and close in response to a specific chemical stimulus/binding of a ligand or chemical stimulus
ligand-gated channel
- Open and close in reaction to mechanical stimulation specifically vibration (sound waves), pressure (touch) or tissue stretching
- The force alters the channels from their resting position, thus opening the gates
mechanically-gated channel
- voltage difference between the inside and
outside of a cell membrane when the cell is not responding to a stimulus
resting membrane potential
in many neurons and muscle fibers, it is __ to __ mV
-70 to -90 mV
- series of rapidly occurring events that
decrease and reverse the membrane potential and then eventually restore it to the resting state
action potential/nerve impulse
2 main phases of action potential:
- depolarizing phase
- repolarizing phase
- the voltage-gated channels open and
an action potential of the same amplitude occurs when depolarization reaches a threshold point
all-or-none principle
threshold point in many neurons
-55 mV
- a weak depolarization that cannot bring the membrane potential to threshold
subthreshold
- a stimulus that is just strong enough to depolarize the membrane to threshold
threshold
- a stimulus that is strong enough to depolarize the
membrane above threshold
suprathreshold
a reduction of voltage across a plasma membrane
(the interior surface of the plasma membrane becomes less negative/more positive than the outside) as a result of the opening of the voltage-gated sodium channels, allowing the inward flow of sodium ions
depolarization
- restoration of a resting membrane potential after
depolarization
repolarization
- Action potentials are self-propagated, and once started the action potential progresses along the axon membrane
propagation/conduction of nerve impulses
the membrane is ____ behind the leading edge of a nerve impulse
- refractory
- happens in unmyelinated axons
- Ions flow through their voltage-gated
channels in each adjacent segment of
the membrane
continuous conduction
- happens along myelinated axons
- Ions flow through their voltage-gated
channels from one node to the next
node of Ranvier
saltatory conduction
- Impulse traverse the entire length of
an axon - Nerve impulse propagates only at a
relatively SHORT distance
continuous conduction