6/9/2021 PhysioEx Exercise 3 Activity 4

PhysioEx Lab Report

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses

Activity 4: The Action Potential: Importance of Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels

Name: Sergio Pedraza, Nataly Herrera, Darly Márquez, Nataly Salazar.

Date: 6 September 2021

Session ID: session-54c4274a-99c6-7051-04bc-c587d11b2ec6

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1 Voltage-gated Na+ channels are membrane channels that open

You correctly answered: when the membrane depolarizes.

2 When open, Na+ channels allow

You correctly answered: Na+ ions to diffuse into the cell.

3 Which of the following is true of an action potential?

You correctly answered: All of these answers are correct.

4 Which of the following can reduce the likelihood of an action potential?

You correctly answered: All of these can reduce the likelihood of an action potential.

Experiment Results
Predict Questions
1 Predict Question 1: If you apply TTX between recording electrodes R1 and R2, what effect will
the TTX have on the action potentials at R1 and R2?

Your answer: TTX will block the response at R2 but have no effect at R1.

2 Predict Question 2: If you apply lidocaine between recording electrodes R1 and R2, what
effect will the lidocaine have on the action potentials at R1 and R2?

Your answer: Lidocaine will block the response at R2 but have no effect at R1.

Stop & Think Questions

1 Enter the peak value of the response at R1 and R2.

You answered: 100 μV.

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2 With a slower timescale, the appearance of the action potentials generated at R1 and R2 will
appear to

You correctly answered: be compressed in time but have the same peak value of response.

3 Why do you think TTX is not used during dental procedures?

You correctly answered: TTX irreversibly blocks voltage-gated sodium channels in axonal
membranes.

Experiment Data
Condition Stimulus Electrode Peak Peak Peak Peak Peak
Voltage Value of Value of Value of Value of Value of
(mV) Response Response Response Response Response
(μV) 2 sec (μV) 4 sec (μV) 6 sec (μV) 8 sec (μV) 10
sec
Control 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
Control 30 R2 100 100 100 100 100
TTX 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
TTX 30 R2 100 100 0 0 0
Lidocaine 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
Lidocaine 30 R2 100 100 100 0 0

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Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1 In the control, the amplitudes of the action potentials at R1 and R2 are the same. Which of
the following explains this?

You correctly answered: All of these are reasonable explanations.

2 Blocking the voltage-gated Na+ channels between R1 and R2 with TTX blocks

You correctly answered: the propagation of the action potential from R1 to R2.

3 When voltage-gated Na+ channels between R1 and R2 are blocked with TTX, an action
potential is still recorded at R1 because

You correctly answered: the voltage-gated Na+ channels between the stimulus and R1 are
unaffected by the TTX.
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4 Puffer fish must be prepared carefully and properly before they can be eaten. Eating puffer
fish can cause numbness of the lips, probably because

You correctly answered: action potentials from sensory neurons in the lips are blocked.

Review Sheet Results

1 What does TTX do to voltage-gated Na+ channels?

Your answer:

TTX bloquea los canales de Na+ dependientes de voltaje al unirse a su extremo

extramenbrana lo que impide la difusión de Na+ al interior del axón inhibiendo la
propagación de los potenciales de acción.

2 What does lidocaine do to voltage-gated Na+ channels? How does the effect of lidocaine
differ from the effect of TTX?

Your answer:

La lidocaína bloquea los canales de Na+ dependientes del voltaje, pero a diferencia de la
TTX, atraviesa la membrana del axón y se une al extremo intracelular de los canales lo que
impide la difusión de Na+ al interior del axón inhibiendo la propagación de los potenciales
de acción.

3 A nerve is a bundle of axons, and some nerves are less sensitive to lidocaine. If a nerve,
rather than an axon, had been used in the lidocaine experiment, the responses recorded at
R1 and R2 would be the sum of all the action potentials (called a compound action
potential). Would the response at R2 after lidocaine application necessarily be zero? Why or
why not?

Your answer:

Sería mayor que cero porque algunos axones podrían permanecer sin afectar y dado que el
Na + es un bloqueador de los canales de sodio, detiene el funcionamiento de los iones de
sodio, lo que a su vez detiene la posibilidad de un potencial de acción.

4 Why are fewer action potentials recorded at recording electrodes R2 when TTX is applied
between R1 and R2? How well did the results compare with your prediction?

Your answer:

La TTX bloqueó los canales de Na+ dependientes de voltaje evitando la propagación del
potencial de acción de R1 a R2. Mi predicción correcta.

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5 Why are fewer action potentials recorded at recording electrodes R2 when lidocaine is
applied between R1 and R2? How well did the results compare with your prediction?

Your answer:

La lidocaína bloqueó los canales de Na+ dependientes de voltaje evitando la propagación

del potencial de acción de R1 a R2. Los resultados confirman mi predicción.

6 Pain-sensitive neurons (called nociceptors) conduct action potentials from the skin or teeth
to sites in the brain involved in pain perception. Where should a dentist inject the lidocaine
to block pain perception?

Your answer:

La lidocaína se debe aplicar a los nociceptores para evitar la generación de un potencial de

acción que conduzca a la percepción del dolor.

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