BioG 1440 Fall 2016

Introduction to Comparative Physiology

Lecture Topic 11.

Electrical Information Encoding
Summary
Electrical information transfer via neurons and other related structures is similar to
chemical information transfer in that it couples a sensory signal transduction pathway
in one cell to a response pathway in a different (usually distant) cell. Membrane
potential is the cellular battery that stores the energy that permits electrical information
transfer and processing to occur. Information is encoded via the mechanism of
changing a membrane potential, which depends upon gated ion channels in the
plasma membrane of the cell.

Assigned Readings
Campbell Biology (10th Edition), Chapter 48, pages 1064-1070. It wouldnt hurt to
review Chapter 7 again as well, particular in regards to membrane transport.

Learning Objectives

1. Understanding how a membrane potential is generated and maintained in living

cells.
2. Understanding how alterations in membrane potential can be generated and
used to propagate signals between cells.

T. Silva and E.R. Loew

Lecture 11