Action Potentials 07/03/2010

Action Potential
 A rapid change in the membrane potential followed by a return to
the resting membrane potential- the size and shape differ
considerably from one excitable tissue to another
o Propagated with the same shape and size along the whole
length of a nerve or muscle cell
o In muscle cell – allows entire length of cells to contract
almost simultaneously
o Voltage-dependent ion channel proteins in the plasma
membrane are responsible for action potentials
Membrane Potential
 Expressed as the intracellular potential minus the extracellular
potential

Synapse
 Specialized structure that permits electrical communication between
cells

Type of Synapse
 Electrical:
o two cell are connected by a gap junction
o gap junctions permit communication between calls by the
direct passage of ionic currents from one cell to the other

 Chemical
o Pre-synaptic neuron releases a neurotransmitter substance
that binds to specific receptor proteins on the plasma
membrane of the post-synaptic cell to alter its membrane
potential
 NMJ – chemical synapse; synapse between the axons of
motor neurons and the skeletal muscle fibers

Synaptic Arrangement
 One-to-one
o One axon to another
 Divergent
 o One axon forms synapse with many neurons
 Convergent
o Several axons form synapse with one neuron
 Axo-axonic
o
 Axo-somatic
o
 Axo-dendritic
o
 07/03/2010
Its strange how its hot when it rains
07/03/2010