Yr12 BTEC Biology revision: Mon 22nd May

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

1. Draw a nerve cell and label with the following:

dendrites, soma, nucleus, axon, myelin sheath, node of Ranvier,
Schwann cell, axon terminal

2. Cut out the following tables and arrange into the correct order!
Resting potential

This process requires energy in the form of ATP

A sodium/potassium pump is used to transport the sodium

and potassium ions across the membrane

The membrane is now 'polarised'

Neuron is resting but still actively transports sodium and

potassium ions across the membrane

This creates a potential difference of -60mV

The membrane is now more permeable to potassium ions

There is a negative potential inside the cell

At rest the gated sodium ion channels are closed

Depolarisation and repolarisation

 A threshold of -50mV is reached which causes the
remaining sodium channels to open

A few sodium channels detect a change and open

An action potential is generated which causes a quick

change in permeability

The membrane is at a potential difference of +40mV

The inside of the cell is now more negative; this is

repolarisation and restores the resting potential

A wave of depolarisation spreads across the whole neuron;

voltage across the membrane changes

The membrane depolarises, becoming less negative than

the outside of the cell

Sodium channels close and the potassium channels open,

allowing potassium ions to diffuse out the cell

There is a rapid influx of sodium ions which causes the

inside of the cell to be more positive than the outside

Synapse
 Action potential arrives at the synaptic bulb

Once the neurotransmitters have excited the cell and acted

upon the membrane, enzymes break them down

Neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft

(this is known as synaptic delay as it's slow)

When the membrane reaches threshold an action potential

is generated
Calcium ion concentration increases; synaptic vesicles
containing neurotransmitters move towards the pre-
synaptic membrane
Calcium channels open in the pre-synaptic membrane.
Calcium ions diffuse down a concentration gradient
Some sodium channels open allowing sodium ions in. This
causes the membrane to become more receptive to
incoming signals
Vesicles fuse with the membrane and release chemicals
into the synaptic cleft

Neurotransmitters bind to the post-synaptic membrane

receptor sites in the sodium channels

Answers to card sorts:

RESTING POTENTIAL
 Neuron is resting but still actively transports sodium and
potassium ions across the membrane

There is a negative potential inside the cell

The membrane is now more permeable to potassium ions

This process requires energy in the form of ATP

The membrane is now 'polarised'

At rest the gated sodium ion channels are closed

A sodium/potassium pump is used to transport the sodium

and potassium ions across the membrane

This creates a potential difference of -60mV

DEPOLARISATION
An action potential is generated which causes a quick
change in permeability

A wave of depolarisation spreads across the whole neuron;

voltage across the membrane changes

A few sodium channels detect a change and open

The membrane depolarises, becoming less negative than

the outside of the cell

A threshold of -50mV is reached which causes the

remaining sodium channels to open

There is a rapid influx of sodium ions which causes the

inside of the cell to be more positive than the outside

The membrane is at a potential difference of +40mV

Sodium channels close and the potassium channels open,
allowing potassium ions to diffuse out the cell

The inside of the cell is now more negative; this is

repolarisation and restores the resting potential

SYNAPSE

Action potential arrives at the synaptic bulb

Calcium channels open in the pre-synaptic membrane.

Calcium ions diffuse down a concentration gradient
Calcium ion concentration increases; synaptic vesicles
containing neurotransmitters move towards the pre-
synaptic membrane
Vesicles fuse with the membrane and release chemicals
into the synaptic cleft

Neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic cleft

(this is known as synaptic delay as it's slow)

Neurotransmitters bind to the post-synaptic membrane

receptor sites in the sodium channels
Some sodium channels open allowing sodium ions in. This
causes the membrane to become more receptive to
incoming signals
When the membrane reaches threshold an action potential
is generated

Once the neurotransmitters have excited the cell and acted

upon the membrane, enzymes break them down