Conducting a nerve impulse

A resting neurone A resting neurone is one that is not in the process of transmitting ____________ ____________________. However, it is still active in maintaining the neurone in a state ready to conduct an impulse. There is a potential difference of -65mV across the membrane of a resting neurone because the inside of a resting neurone is 65mV more ______________________ than the outside. The membrane is described as being _______________________. On diagrams of a resting neurone the inside is shown as negative (-) and the outside as positive (+)

How is the Resting Potential of -65mV maintained? 2 mechanisms are involved: 1. The active transport of sodium and potassium via a sodium/potassium pump.

Na+ is pumped out of the neurone and K+ is pumped in. This process uses a __________________ protein and requires __________ from aerobic respiration. There are ______ + ions moved out for every ______+ ions pumped which creates an electrochemical gradient, making the inside negative in relation to the outside. 2. Outwards facilitated diffusion of K+ ions

The membrane has gated Na+ and K+ channel proteins, but in a resting neurone, some of the K+ gated channel proteins are ______________, but the sodium gated channel proteins are _______________. Some K+ can therefore _____________________ out of the neurone, increasing the __________________ gradient and producing the potential difference of _________mV. (At this membrane potential, further diffusion of K+ out stops due to the large negative charge inside the neurone which attracts the K+ to remain inside the cell)

Generating an Action Potential 1. Stimulation of sensory neurones leads to ______________________ of the neurone and the generation of an action potential When a section of neurone receives a stimulus of sufficient strength i.e. it is above the _____________________, the change in energy causes the voltage gated Na+ channels to ________ and Na+ rapidly diffuses into the cytoplasm of the neurone (axoplasm). This depolarises the neurone, making the ________________________ of the neurone +40mV compared to the ______________________. The stage lasts for 0.5 milliseconds 2. At the peak of __________mV the Na+ voltage gated channels ________________. 3. The K+ voltage gated channels now _________________. 4. K+ ions rapidly ___________________________ out causing the membrane to repolarize. The stage also lasts for 0.5 milliseconds. 5. The rapid loss of K+ ions overshoots the -70mV level. A period of ____________________________ now occurs. 6. The K+ voltage gated channels close and the Na+/K+ pump re-establishes the _________________ ____________________________ of -65mV.

The All or Nothing Response An _____________________ _______________________________ is only initiated if the stimulus is above the threshold level. If it is not, there is insufficient _________________________ in the stimulus to depolarise the membrane of the neurone and no action potential will be generated. For any given neurone the _______________________ of the action potential is always the same. Increasing the strength of the stimulus beyond the threshold level has no effect on the amplitude of the action potential. Action potentials are therefore described as being all or __________________ responses.

The Refractory Period a) Absolute refractory period Whilst the membrane of a neurone is undergoing an action potential a second stimulus will have __ ______________________. This stage is called the Absolute Refractory Period. It lasts for approx. 10 milliseconds. The absolute refractory period coincides with nearly the entire duration of the action potential. After an action potential has been initiated the concentrations of sodium and potassium become ______________________________ (Na+ enters the cell and K+ exits the cell). At the end of repolarisation, the sodium channels are completely closed but the potassium channels are still open, K+ continues to leave the cell and the inside of the cell becomes more negative (hyperpolarised) than during the resting phase. Therefore no matter how great the __________________________, an action potential cannot be initiated. b) Relative Refractory Period In order to re-establish the resting potential, The Na+ and K+ gates both ______________________ and reset, the Na/K pump is activated so that Na+ ions are pumped out from the interior and K+ are pumped into the interior. During this phase another action potential can be initiated if there is ________________________ than is necessary during the resting state. This stage is called the Relative Refractory Period. Size of stimulus and unidirectional nerve conduction Large stimuli = increased number of action potentials per second. Small stimuli = decreased number of action potentials/second. The need to re-establish a resting potential before additional stimulation can generate a further action potential also ensures that the neurone conducts only in one _______________________.