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Lecture 7 Nervous System 1 - STRUCTURE FUNCTION
Lecture 7 Nervous System 1 - STRUCTURE FUNCTION
PHYSIOLOGY I
NERVOUS SYSTEM 1
Characteristics:
Active or gated
• The neuron cell membrane is polarized, being more negatively charged inside than
outside. The degree of this difference in electrical charge is the resting membrane
potential.
• Within cell – lower concentration of Na+ & higher concentration of K+ which, is also
balanced by the presence of anionic proteins (A-).
• Outside cell - Na+ & other ions which are balanced by Cl-
BASIS OF RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
• RMP (-70mV) is maintained indirectly by Na-K pump – transports 3 Na+ out for
each 2 K+ transported back into cell.
MEMBRANE POTENTIALS
• Changes in membrane potential relative to resting membrane potential can either be….
a) Depolarizations - the interior of the cell becomes less negative,
or
b) Hyperpolarizations - the interior of the cell becomes more negatively charged.
GRADED POTENTIALS
• Short-lived, local changes in membrane potentials. They can either be
depolarizations or hyperpolarizations, and are critical to the generation of
action potentials.
a) Receptor potentials are graded potentials that occur at the receptor of
sensory neurons.
b) Post-synaptic potentials are graded potentials generated by NT binding to a
post-synaptic receptor on a dendrite, neuronal cell body, or even an axon.
ACTION POTENTIALS
• When a wave of depolarization (a graded local potential) reaches a voltage-regulated Na+ channel at
sufficient strength (above threshold) the voltage-regulated Na+ channel opens and allows a large
amount of Na+ to flood into the cell.
This depolarizes the cell to the point that the polarization of the plasma membrane actually
reverses briefly, and the depolarization wave generated (an action potential) will flow
across the membrane until it reaches the next voltage-regulated Na+ channel and be above
threshold, thus causing it to open.
• Action potentials are self-reinforcing because they always are above threshold when they reach the
next voltage-regulated Na+ channel.
• Repolarization, which restores resting membrane potential, follows depolarization along the
membrane.
• Self-propagating & run along axon at a constant velocity – AP initiated at one end of axon &
conducted away from that point toward axon terminals.
Influence by….
1) Axon Diameter
Larger diameter has lower resistance (greater cross-sectional area)
2) Myelin Sheath
Unmyelinated sheaths have voltage regulated channels relatively close to each other to
account for ion leakage across the membrane, conduct impulses relatively slowly
(continuous conduction)
Myelin insulates, the only place ion leakage occurs is at Nodes of Ranvier
This is also where voltage-gated Na+ channels occur, so action potentials are generated only
at nodes and travel from node to node (saltatory conduction) – much faster than in
unmyelinated sheaths
• Group A fibers
Somatic sensory & motor fibers serving skin, skeletal muscles & joints
Largest diameter & thick myelin sheath
Speed up to 150 m/s
• Group B fibers
Lightly myelinated fibers & intermediate diameter.
Average speed 15 m/s
• Group C fibers
Smallest diameter & unmyelinated
Incapable of saltatory conduction
Speed 1 m/s or less.
SYNAPSE
• A junction that mediates information transfer between neurons or between a neuron and an effector
cell.
• Axodendritic synapse – between axon endings of one neuron & dendrities of another neuron
• Axosomatic synapse – between axon endings of one neuron & cell bodies of other neurons.