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 voltage-activated
Na+ channels become active.
When firing level reached voltageactivated 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.

Saltatory
Conduction