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4 - Membrane Potential N Action Potential

The document discusses the membrane potential of neurons. It explains that neurons have a semi-permeable membrane that separates positive and negative charges, known as the membrane potential. When neurons are at rest, they maintain a resting potential across the membrane, which is typically -70mV. This resting potential occurs because there are higher concentrations of sodium ions outside the cell and potassium ions inside, creating concentration and charge gradients. Potassium ions diffuse out of the cell while sodium ions are prevented from entering, reaching an equilibrium resting potential. The document also presents a circuit model of a neuron to electrically represent the resting potential.

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Raj Kishore
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92 views7 pages

4 - Membrane Potential N Action Potential

The document discusses the membrane potential of neurons. It explains that neurons have a semi-permeable membrane that separates positive and negative charges, known as the membrane potential. When neurons are at rest, they maintain a resting potential across the membrane, which is typically -70mV. This resting potential occurs because there are higher concentrations of sodium ions outside the cell and potassium ions inside, creating concentration and charge gradients. Potassium ions diffuse out of the cell while sodium ions are prevented from entering, reaching an equilibrium resting potential. The document also presents a circuit model of a neuron to electrically represent the resting potential.

Uploaded by

Raj Kishore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Membrane and

Action Potential
You will learn about
1.Membrane potential
2.Electrical representation of neuron
Course outcomes:CO1 Understand the biological concepts from an
engineering perspective
Basics of
electricity BATTERY
THE + AND – CHARGES ARE FORCEFULLY
SEPARATED TO CREATE A POTENTIAL

• Body is in general electrically neutral.

• But some areas are more positively/


negatively charged as compared to the VOLTAGE MEASURE OF POTENTIAL ENERGY
GENERATED BY SEPARATED CHARGES
other.

• Which indicates there is a barrier to


separate the charges.

CURRENT FLOW OF ELECTRICITY FROM ONE POINT


TO THE OTHER
Resting neuron

 Neuron membrane separates the positive and negative


charges.
 MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
 When neuron is not transmitting any information then it is
said to be in the resting state " RESTING POTENTIAL"

How resting potential is achieved????!!!


Resting potential
 Membrane is semi-permeable 
 Cell is surrounded by conductive fluid (Na+,
K+, Cl-, …)
 In resting state K+ and Cl- ions can readily
enter the membrane but not Na+.
 More concentration of Na+ ions outside the
cell as compared to inside? (Reason will be
clear once the entire topic is completed).
 CHARGE GRADIENT
Resting potential
 To even out the charge gradient K+ ions
enter inside.
 This results in CONCENTRATION
GRADIENT.
 So K+ ions move outside causing a charge
gradient.
 Thus at equilibrium there is an effective
potential across the membrane called
resting potential
 (-60 to -100mV) typically -70mV for
neurons.
CIRCUIT Model of a
neuron
+
 Potential Inside of the cell is measured V
with respect to outside.
-
 +ve of the voltmeter should be
connected to - inside
 -ve of the voltmeter to outside.

NOTE: Refer Page No. 50 from Reference Book 2: Leslie Cromwell, Biomedical Instrumentation
-

+ +
5V battery
V
-

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