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 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.