Action Potential

Department of Physiology
School of Medicine
University of Sumatera Utara

Resting Membrane
Potential
Found in almost all cells.
In neurons, it is usually 70 mV.

Genesis of Membrane
Potential
The distribution of ions across cell
membrane.
K+ move out from cell by its
concentration gradient via K+ channels.
Na+-K+ATPases pumps 2 K+ back into the
cell for every 3 Na+ out of the cell.
K+ channels make the membrane more
permeable to K+ Na+ influx does not
compensate K+ efflux intracellular
relatively charged.

Ionic Basis of
Resting Membrane Potential
Actively, Na+ is transported out &
K+ into cells.
K+ moves out & Na+ moves in, but
because of K+ channels, K+
permeability at rest is > Na+
permeability, K+ channels
maintain the RMP.

Ionic Basis of
Resting Membrane Potential
Catelectronic currents voltageactivated Na+ channels become
active.
When firing level reached
voltage-activated Na+ channels
overwhelm the K+ & other channels
spike potentials results.

Excitable Tissue
Nerve and muscle cells can be
stimulated electrically, chemically,
mechanically
action potential.

Nerve Cells
Have a low threshold for excitation.
2 types of psychochemical
disturbances:
1. Local non propagated potentials:
Synaptic.
Generator.
Electrotonic.

2. Propagated disturbances action potential

(nerve impulses)

Potential of Membrane
Action potential; a characteristic series of
potential changes if axon is stimulated and a
conducted impulse occurs.
Stimulus artifact; a brief irregular deflection of
the baseline due to current leakage from the
stimulating electrodes to the recording electrodes.
Latent period; isopotential interval from stimulus
artifact until the starts of the action potential
impulse takes time to travel along the axon from
the site of stimulation to the recording electrodes.

Potential of Membrane
If the stimulus is at or above threshold
intensity, the action potential is therefore
all or none in character.
Strength duration curve; the relation
between the strength & the duration of a
threshold stimulus.
Accommodation; a process that slowly
raising currents fail to fire the nerve because
the nerve adapts to the applied stimulus.

Potential of Membrane
Electrotonic potentials;
Application of such currents with a cathode leads
to a localized depolarizing potential change that
rises sharply & decays exponentially with time.
The magnitude of this response drops off rapidly
as the distance between the stimulating and
recording electrodes is increased.
Conversely, an anodal current produces a
hyperpolarizing potential change of similar
duration. These potential changes are called
electrotonic potentials.

Potential of Membrane
Local responses;
Effect on membrane potential due to
an application of subthreshold
stimuli but do not produce an action
potential.
Firing level;
A threshold level that makes
excitable membrane is triggered to
undergo an action potential.

Changes in Excitability During

Electronic Potentials
& the Action Potential
Refractory Period;
During the local response, the threshold is lowered, but
during the rising & much of the falling phases of the spike
potential, the neuron is refractory to the stimulation.
Absolute refractory period; the period from the time the
firing level is reached until repolarization is about
complete. not excitable.
Relative refractory period; lasting from the repolarization is
about complete to the start of after hyper-depolarization.
excitable by stronger than normal stimulus.

Changes in Excitability
During
Electronic Potentials
& the Action Potential
During after-depolarization, the
threshold again decreased.
During after-hyperpolarization, the
threshold is increased.

Electrogenesis
of the Action Potential
Nerve cell membrane is polarized
at rest, charges along the outside
of the membrane and charges
along the inside.
During the action potential, this
polarity is abolished & for a brief
period is actually reversed.

Saltatory Conduction
Jumping of depolarization from
node to node at myelinated nerve
axon.