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Flashcards in Nerve Communication Deck (78)
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1
Q

How do nerves communicate?

A

Communicate w/ one another by electrical signals

2
Q

What are the different types of communication?

A
Graded potential
-short distance communication 
Action potential
-long distance communication 
     -nerve action potential (impulse)
3
Q

What do the production of graded & action potentials depend on?

A

Resting membrane potential

Presence of specific ion channels

4
Q

Why does resting membrane potential exist?

Consists of 5 facts

A
  • more negative ions inside cell membrane
  • more positive ions out cell membrane
    • difference in charge causes electrical potential
      - measured in millivolts(mV)
      - normal resting potential is -70mV
      - membrane said to be “polarized”
      - NA-K pump stabilizes resting membrane potential
      - 3 NA ions out, 2 K into cell
5
Q

Role of ion channels?

What is this called? Definition?

A

Main path for current to flow across membrane
Called electrochemical gradient
-ion movement from high to low concentration

6
Q

Changes in membrane potential produce how many types of signals? What are they? What do they consist of?

A
2 types 
Graded potentials
-incoming signals -occur over short distances 
Action potentials 
-long distance signals of axon
7
Q

What does nerve communication involve? (3 things)

A

Graded potentials
Action potentials
Synapse

8
Q

Graded potentials

What is it? Location? What does it do? Description of distance?

A

Small changes in membrane potential
-either more polarized- inside more negative OR less polarized- inside less negative
Most occur in dendrites & cell bodies
Short distances- few millimeters
Initiates action potentials in axon

9
Q

Graded potentials
What does graded mean?
Depends on?

A

“Graded” means amplitude of electrical signal varies

  • depends on strength of stimulus
  • # of ligand-gated or mechanical gated channels open
10
Q

How do ions move?

A

Ions move using ‘gates’ (proteins) in cell membrane

11
Q

Leak channel

A

Channel

-randomly open & close

12
Q

Ligand-gated channel

A

Chemical stimulus opens the channel
Opens w/ neurotransmitters
(Muscle contraction)

13
Q

Mechanically gated channel

A

Mechanical stimulus opens the channel
-open w/ response to deformation of receptor (touch, pressure, sound)
(This is involving graded potentials)

14
Q

Voltage-gated channel

A

Change in membrane potential opens the channel

-opens w/ change in membrane potential

15
Q

Action potential

Where propagated?

A

Propagated along axon
Only in excitable membranes- neurons & muscle cells
Brief reversal of membrane potential & return to resting state
Long distance neuron communication
Do not decrease w/ distance
Use voltage gated ion channels (NA/K pump)

16
Q

What is a comparison for an action potential propagated along the axon?

A

The domino effect - not all at once, 1 part at a time

17
Q

Generation of action potential. 4 states

A

Resting state
Depolarization
Repolarization
Hyperpolarization

18
Q

Resting state

Type of channels? What do they do? Mv at this stage?

A

Voltage gated channels open (NA & K)

-70 mV membrane potential

19
Q

Depolarization
What is it?
What must happen for this to occur?
Channels?

A

Membrane potential becomes less negative reaching zero
-must reach threshold (-55mV)
- “all or none” principle (like muscle contraction)
NA channels open

20
Q

Repolarization
Channels?
What happens?

A

Na channels close, k channels open

Membrane potential restored to resting state (-70 mV)

21
Q

Hyperpolarization

Channels?

A

Some k channels open, Na channels reset.

22
Q

Factors affecting speed of axon potential what are they? (3)

A

Amount of myelination
Axon diameter
Temperature

23
Q

Amount of myelination

A

More rapid when myelinated

24
Q

Axon diameter

A

Larger diameter -> faster propagation

Less resistance to flow

25
Q

Temperature

A

Cooler temp -> lower speeds

26
Q

Synaptic transmission is where? Definition?

A

Synapse - junction btwn neurons that action potential travels through
(Btwn 2 neurons bulb to dendrites)

27
Q

what are the two neurons in the synapse? function?

A

presynaptic neuron- sends signals (bulb)

postsynaptic neuron- receives signal (dendrites)

28
Q

what are the 2 types of synapse?

A
electrical synapses
chemical synapses (muscle contraction, neurotransmitters)
29
Q

describe electrical synapses

location? what happens? how? examples?

A

btwn 2 close neurons held together by GAP JUNCTIONS
ionic current flows by passive transport through gap junctions
current flows in both directions
fast transmission (instantaneous)
EX) areas of brain for eye movements, emotions, & memory

30
Q

description of chemical synapse

job? location?

A

convert electrical signals (action potential) to chemical signals (neurotransmitter)
uses neurotransmitters across a synapse

31
Q

neurotransmitters (4)

A

acetylcholine
norepinephrine & dopamine
serotonin
histamine

32
Q

acetylcholine

A

muscles

33
Q

norepinephrine & dopamine

A

“fell good”

fits depression, anxiety, make happy!

34
Q

serotonin

A

sleep, regulating mood

35
Q

histamine

A

wakefulness, appetite control

mediates inflammation, vasodilation (asthema, dialate bronchial tubes)

36
Q

what part of the neuron when excited causes a generation of an action potential?

A

axon

37
Q

where are electrical synapses made?

A

GAP JUNCTIONS

38
Q

are electrical synapses excitatory or inhibitory?

A

excitatory

39
Q

what is an advantage of electrical synapses over chemical synapses?

A

electrical synapses is FAST transmission (instantaneous). it also goes to a group instead of only 1

40
Q

where are chemical synapses made?

A

synaptic cleft

41
Q

what type of molecule is used to carry the chemical signal?

A

neurotransmitter

42
Q

at a chemical synapse, neuronal membranes are separated by a gap called the ______

A

synaptic cleft

43
Q

the calcium inside the synaptic knob initiates ______

A

release of neurotransmitter (or initiates the synapse)

44
Q

what type of behavior are electrical synapses associated with?

A

areas of brain for eye movements, emotions, and memory

45
Q

what are the steps in the process of a chemical synapse btwn neurons?

A

1) axon potential arrives at axon terminal
2) Na+ channels open & depolarization causes Ca2+ channels to open
3) Calcium causes synaptic vesicles to fuse w/ neuron membrane, dumping neurotransmitter into synapse
4) Neurotransmitter binds receptor, receptor opens
5) Na+ enters postsynaptic neuron & depolarizes cell, causing action potential (once ACh is released in there)
(SAME AS NMJ)

46
Q

the neuron conducting an action potential toward the synapses is called the __________ neuron

A

presynaptic

47
Q

the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron contains membrane sacs called _________ which are filled with _______

A

synaptic VESICLES

neurotransmitters

48
Q

polarized means

A

unequal charge across the membrane

49
Q

when a cell membrane is polarized, the inside is ______ charged with respect to the outside

A

negative

50
Q

the polarization of a cell membrane is due to _______

A

the sodium/potassium pump

51
Q

_____ is the major intracellular positive ion and ________ are the major extracellular cation

A

potassium (K+)

Sodium (Na+)

52
Q

the measured value of resting potential is

A

-70 mV

53
Q

at resting membrane potential, sodium channels are _____ but when threshold is reached, sodium channels _____

A

open

open

54
Q

the measured value of threshold is

A

-55 mV

55
Q

What happens during the absolute refractory period?

A

voltage gated Na channel activation gates are open then
voltage gated K channels are open & Na channels are inactivating
(hill of depolarization & repolarization)

56
Q

Whats happens during the relative refractory period?

A

voltage gated K channels are still open; Na channels are in resting state
(hyperpolarization to the start of resting)

57
Q

explain the graph dealing with sodium (Na) & potassium (k)

A

resting- pump maintains Na Sodium outside and K Potassium inside
Depolarization- Na (Sodium) in!
Repolarization- K (Potassium) out!
1st part of hyperpolarization still going down- K (Potassium) out overshoot
2nd part going up- pump
resting- pump maintains Na (Sodium) outside & K (Potassium) inside

58
Q

what happens to the channels when the different ions move? give all situations on graph
Na? K? Pump?

A

Na (sodium) in = Na channels open, K channels close
K (potassium) out = K channels open, Na close
Pump= 3 Na (sodium) pumped out, 2 K pumped in

59
Q

what would happen is we didn’t have Na or K?

A

No nerve conduction!

60
Q

what channels are involved in resting membrane potential? What happens to them?

A

voltage gated Na channels and voltage gated K channels are closed!

61
Q

what causes depolarization to threshold?

A

STIMULUS

62
Q

electrical signals cannot do what? what do we use?

A

cannot jump across gap, so we use chemical signals!

63
Q

whats a neuron?

A

basic unit of information processing & building block of the brain
it’s an excitable cell the receives a stimuli & either sends the signal on, or not

64
Q

what ion is the high concentration outside the neuron?

A

sodium Na ions

65
Q

what ion is in high concentration inside the neuron?

A

K potassium ions

66
Q

what specialized protein exists in the neural cell membrane?

A

channels

67
Q

what is the function of channels?

A

form pores in the membrane that are selectively permeable to particular ions

68
Q

under resting conditions which ion leaks more, sodium leaking inward or potassium leaking outward?

A

potassium leaking outward

69
Q

result of the leaks makes the outside of the cells charged ___ and the inside of the cell charged __. the cell is said to be what?

A

positive, negative

polarized

70
Q

since sodium is in high concentration outside the cell, what happens if the sodium channel opens in the membrane? which way does the sodium move?

A

into the neuron

71
Q

when the sodium moves in, the neuron is momentarily what? this is called?

A

positive

depolarized

72
Q

the switch in membrane potential (when the inside is postive from sodium entering) is the what?

A

action potential

73
Q

speed of an action potential is relate to?

A

size of the axon

74
Q

what type of axon results in fast transmission rates?

A

big axons

75
Q

what substance allows for rapid action potential?

A

myelin

76
Q

where does the action potential take place on a myelinated neuron?

A

nodes of ranvier

77
Q

what does the myelin sheath allow action potentials to do?

A

allows action potential to jump from 1 node to another, greatly increasing the rate of transmission

78
Q

multiple sclerosis

A

demyelinating disease that affects bundles of axons in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve, leading to lack of co-ordination muscle control (and difficulties with speech and vision). this proves that w/o myelin sheath, we cannot function.