Biopsych 02/07/2015: 1. Resting Membrane Potential

BIOPSYCH
02/07/2015
1. Resting Membrane Potential:

When the electrode tips are put both in the extracellular
membrane, the difference of the voltage is between zero. But,
when one tip is inserted to a neuron and the other on the
extracellular membrane, the potential inside the neuron is 70mV
less than the outside of the neuron. This is called the neurons
resting potential. Negatively and positively charged particles are
called ions. Resting potential results from the fact that the ratio
of negative to positive charges is greater inside the neuron than
the outside.
There are four kinds of ions that contribute significantly to the
resting potential: sodium ions (Na+), potassium ions (K+), chloride
ions(Cl-), and various negatively charged protein ions.
There are four factors that mainly contribute to the unequal distribution of
charges:
The first two of the four acts to distribute ions equally through out the
intracellular and the extracellular fluids.
1. Random Motion- ions that are in random motion tend to
become evenly distributed because they are more likely to move
from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration
than vice versa.
2. Electrostatic Pressure any build-up of charges, whether
positive or negative, tends to be dispersed by repulsion among
the like charges in the vicinity and the attraction of opposite
charges concentrated elsewhere.
The second two factors of the four are responsible for the unequal
distiribution of Na+,K+,Cl3. Passive- does not involve the consumption of energy
4. Active- involves the consumption of energy
*In resting ions, K and Cl ions pass readily through the neural
membrane, Na ions pass through it with difficulty and negatively charged
protein ions do not pass through it at all
Ion channels are specialized pores where ions pass through the
neural membrane
Sodium-Potassium Pumps are ion transports performed by energy
consuming machanisms in the cell membrane. It continually exchanges
three Na+ ions inside the neuron for two K+ ions outside.
More transporters, which are mechanisms in the membrane of a cell
that actively transport ions or molecules across the membranes, have
been discovered since the discovery of the sodium-potassium pumps.
2. Generation and Conduction of Postsynaptic Potentials
Whenever neurons fire, they release from neurotransmitters

from their terminal buttons. Usually, they bind to postsynaptic
receptors and generally have one of the two effects: decrease
the resting membrane potential (depolarize) or increase the
resting membrane potential (hyperpolarize)
Postsynaptic depolarizations are called excitatory postsynaptic
potentials (EPSPs) because they increase the likelihood that
the neuron will fire. On the other hand, Postsynaptic
hyperpolarizations are called inhibitory postsynaptic
potentials (IPSPs) because they decrease the likelihood that
the neuron will fire. Both of its amplitudes are proportional to the
intensity the of the signals that elicit them. These are graded
responses.
3. Integration of Postsynaptic Potentials and Generation of
Action Potentials
An action potential (AP) is a massive but momentarylasting for
one millisecondreversal of the membrane potential from -70mV
to about +50mV. Action potentials are generated near, but not
at, the axon hillock. An action potential is elicited when the
depolarization of the neuron reaches the threshold of excitation.
Action potentials are all or none responses, contrary to postsynaptic potentials which are graded.
Adding or combining a number of individual signals into one overall
signals is called integration. This happens when a multipolar neuron adds
all the graded excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials reaching
its axon and decides to fire or not on the basis of their sum.
Neurons integrate postsynaptic potentils ion two ways:
Spatial summation shows how local EPSPs produced in different
parts simultaneously form a greater EPSP, how simultaneous
IPSPs sum to form a greater IPSPs, and how simultaneous EPSPs
and IPSPs sum to cancel each other out.
Temporal summation shows how postsynaptic potentials
produced in rapid succession at the same synapse sum to form a
grater signal.

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BIOPSYCH

1. Resting Membrane Potential:

Whenever neurons fire, they release from neurotransmitters

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