- Membrane-bound - Found in Dendrites - Chemical signal electrical signal (transduction) - Change in membrane potential Electrical signals = graded potentials
GRADED POTENTIALS VARY IN MAGNITUDE
Depends on stimulus Strong stimulus (aka high in #neurotransmitters) = high chance that more ion channels open - more opened channels = more ions will move = larger change in membrane potential No neurotransmitter = ligand-gated ion channels remain closed = no ions can move = same membrane potential Amplitude of graded potential (aka electrical signal) directly reflects strength of stimulus
Graded potentials *can either:
- hyperpolarize (more negative) - depolarize (less negative) *depends on type of channel that is opened or closed Most important ion channels in denrites and cell body: - Na+ (sodium) - K+ (potassium) - Cl- (chlorine) - Ca2+ (calcium) Nernst Equation Open Na+/Ca+ = depolarize (less negative) Open K+/Cl- = hyperpolarize (more negative)
GRADED POTENTIALS ARE SHORT DISTANCE SIGNALS
Conduction with Decrement - Graded potentials decrease in strength as they get father away from opened channel - Strength of signal decreases with distance Na+ channels move into cell and depolarizes cell (less negative/more positive) Electronic current spread - Positive charge spreads along the inside of membrane, causing depolarization - Happens because of electrical interactions inside neuron - ie. Positive charges (Na+) attract negative charges and repel positive charges, causing positive charges to move away from each other (away from initial site of depolarization - Depolarization moves along in membrane in all directions