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Something Something I Don't Know

The document discusses resting membrane potential, how it is maintained by ion gradients established by the sodium-potassium pump and leak channels, and its role in excitability of nerve cells. It also describes how an action potential is generated through voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, and the stages of depolarization, repolarization, and refractory periods. Finally, it mentions how action potentials propagate along myelinated axons via saltatory conduction.

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18 views47 pages

Something Something I Don't Know

The document discusses resting membrane potential, how it is maintained by ion gradients established by the sodium-potassium pump and leak channels, and its role in excitability of nerve cells. It also describes how an action potential is generated through voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, and the stages of depolarization, repolarization, and refractory periods. Finally, it mentions how action potentials propagate along myelinated axons via saltatory conduction.

Uploaded by

matharatraders
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Resting Membrane

Potential
Dr.Dulani Kottahachchi
Department of Physiology
Objectives
• What is a nerve cell?

• What is membrane potential?

• What is resting membrane potential?

• Describe the ionic basis for resting membrane


potential

• Cell to cell comminication


Neuron

• Neurone is the structural and functional


unit of nervous system
• Also called nerve cell
• Differnt from other cells as,
– They have branches and processes called
axons and dendrites
– Does not have a centromere ,so cannot
undergo division
Neuron
Membrane potential
Membrane potential

• In cells of all types, there is an electrical


potential difference between the inside of
the cell and the surrounding extracellular
fluid.

• This is termed the membrane potential of the


cell
• All cells need it to carry out biological
processes.
Membrane potential
Resting membrane potentials
(RMP)
RMP
• When the cell is at rest,membrsne potential is
RMP
• It is due to changes in membrane permeability
for potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride,
which results from the movement of these ions
across it.
• Once the membrane is polarized, it acquires a
voltage, which is the difference of potentials
between intra and extracellular spaces.
• It is always negative inside the cell
RMP in different cells
Excitable tissues
• Nerve and muscle cells are capable of self generation
of electrochemical impulses (action potentials) at
their cell membranes.

• Therefore they are called excitable tissues.

• At resting stage their cell membrane remain in a


polarized stage (Resting membrane potential)
Resting membrane potential
-70mV

Na+ 142mE/L
K+ 4mE/L

+++++++++++
---------------
Na+ 4mE/L
K+ 140mE/L
RMP is due to movement of ions
across cell membrane
• At rest nerve cell membrane is not permeable
to anions.

• But Na+ and K+ can go across the membrane


through 2 special channels.
– Na+-K+ ATPase pump
– Na+-K+ leak channels
Na+/K+ ATPase pump

The Na+/K+ ATPase pump creates a concentration


gradient by moving 3Na+ out of the cell and 2K+
into the cell.

Na+ is being pumped out and K+ pumped in


against their concentration gradients.

Because this pump is moving ions against their


concentration gradients, it requires energy.
Na+-K+ leak channels Na+-K+pump

1 Na+ 2 K+

ECF

ICF

100 K + ATP 3 Na+ ADP


Ion channels

• The cell membrane contains protein channels that allow ions


to diffuse passively without direct expenditure of metabolic
energy.

• These channels allow Na + and K+ to move across the cell


membrane from a higher concentration toward a lower.

• As these channels have selectivity for certain ions, there are


potassium- and sodium- selective ion channels.

• All cell membranes are more permeable to K+ than to Na+


because they have more K+ channels than Na+.
Cell to cell communication
• Chemical • Neural
communications communications
– Autocrine – Transmitted along
– Paracrine the nerve fibres
– Endocrine – Electrical signals
– Neurocrine – Call as nerve
impulses or action
potentials
True or False regarding resting
membrane potential (RMP)
A. All the cells have a RMP
B. It's essential for the cells bioogical
processes
C. It is always positive inside
D. RMP is maintained only by leak channels
E. It is usually -70 mV in nerve cell
Action potentials
Objectives
List the stages of action potential (AP) and
state the ionic basis for each stage

State the all or none low of AP

Define absolute and relative refractory periods

Compare and contrast slow and salutatory


conduction of AP
Generation of action potential
Stimulu Depolarization of membrane
RM
s
P
Action
potential
Stages of action potential
1. Depolarization
2. Repolarization
3. After depolarization
4. After hyperpolarization
Various stages of action potential
mV Over
shoot
0

Depolarization Repolarization
Firing level After-
-70 depolarization
RMP
After-hyperpolarizaton
Time
Stimulu
s
Ionic basis of action potential

• 2 types of channels are important in AP


1. Voltage gated Na + channels

2. Voltage gated K + channels


Action potential - Depolarization
When membrane is stimulated sufficiently
(below threshold or firing level)

+
Voltage gated Na channels open up.

Na+ enters the cell rapidly.

Positive charges inside the cell


increases -Depolarization
Voltage gated Na+
channel
Na+
ECF

CELL

Resting stage Activated stage


-70mV -70 to +35mV
Depolarization
mV

Depolarization Repolarization

Firing level
After-depolarization

-70
RMP

After-hyperpolarizaton

Time

Stimulus
When membrane
Activation gate Na+
potential becomes Na+
positive,
ECF

• voltage
CELL
gated Na+
channel closes and
influx of Na+ stops.
Inactivation gate
Inactivated
stage
Resting
stage -70 to +35mV,
delayed
-90mV
Repolarization
Membrane become more
positive

Opening of voltage gated


K+ channels

K + K+
Slow efflux of K+
Resting Slow
Increases membrane stage activation
potential
Repolarization -70mV -70mV to
+35mV
The sharp rise and rapid
mV fall in the membrane
potential is called as spike
0
potential
Depolarization
Repolarization
Spike potantial
Firing level
After-depolarization

-70
RMP

After-hyperpolarizaton

Time

Stimulus
• When repolarization is 70% complete the rate of
repolarization slow down and approache to the
resting level is more gradual - After-depolarization
(4ms)

• As membrane repolarises there is slow closure of


voltage gated K+ channels.

• This gives rise to slight overshoot toward the


hyperpolarization direction
- After hyperpolarization
mV

Depolarization Repolarization

Firing level
-70 After-depolarization

RMP

After-hyperpolarizaton

Time

Stimulus
All or none low
• An action potential does not occur if the stimulus is
sub-threshold (below firing level).

• A stimulus larger than threshold gives rise to full-


fledged action potential.

• Further increase in the stimulus does not increase


the size of the action potential.
All or none low
mV Action
potential
s
Acute
sub-
threshold
potentials Threshol
d
level
m
A B C D s
Refractory period

• During this period normal stimulus cannot


elicit a second action potential
– Not excitable

1. Absolute refractory period - stimulus


however strong will not excite the
neuron.
2. Relative refractory period - a stimulus
stronger than normal can cause
excitation
Super normal period - more excitable
Less than normal stimulus can trigger an
action potential. (threshold is less than
normal) -after-depolarization

subnormal period - less excitable


stimulus stronger than normal is
necessary to trigger an action potential.
(threshold is increased) - after-
hyperpolarization
Action potential
m
V

0 Absolute Relative
refractory refractory
period period
After-depolarization
supernormal period
-70 RMP
After-hyperpolarizaton
subnormal period
Transmission of action potentials
Propagation of action potential
Polarity of membrane reverses
for brief period
Positive charges inside the nerve flows into
adjacent areas of negativity - circular
current flow

These +ve charges depolarizes the membrane


for short distance(1-3mm) above threshold
level - Action potential

This propagation
continues
Saltatory conduction
• Depolarization in myelinated axons jumps from
one node of Ranvier to the next.

-- --
++ ++
++ ++
-- --

Therefore conduction is 50 times faster than


unmyelinated nerve.
Direction of propagation
Synap
An axon can conduct impulses
in either direction
se
1. Orthodromic conduction
from synaptic junction or
receptor to axon termination.
orthodro antidro
2. Antidromic conductionmic mic
conduction to opposite
direction
Re-establishment of ionic gradient
• Action potential – Na+ influx and K+ efflux
• [Na+] increases inside the nerve
• [K+] increases outside the nerve
• At one point – impulse transmission stops
• Re-establishment of ionic gradient is by Na+-
K+pump with consumption of energy
Summary
• Excitable tissues can generate APs in response to stimuli
• During AP electrical potential changes across the cell membrane
– by voltage gated Na+ and K + channels
• 4 main periods in AP – Depolarization, Repolarization, after-
depolarization and after-hyperpolarization

• AP follows all or none low


• It has a refractory, supernormal and subnormal periods

• Two types of conduction of AP


– Slow conduction
– Saltatory conduction - fast
True or False regarding action
potential
A. There are main 4 stages in action potential.
B. Depolarization of action potential is due to
opening of Voltage gated sodium channels
C. Repolarization is due to opening of
Potassium channels
D. In depolarization there’s an absolute
refractory period
E. After hyperpolarization Na /K pump helps
to maintain RMP

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