Neurobiology 15-BIOL-540

Lecture 4

As in any conductor, voltage initiated at one point in a cell will spread passively away from that point.

This occurs very rapidly, but it dissipates as it spreads.

The spatial pattern of dissipation is logarithmic.

This is fine for short distances, but lousy for anything longer than a fraction of a millimeter.

The solution: action potentials!

To study how action potentials work, we need to use electrophysiology.

Hyperpolarizing current (?) pulses create proportional negative responses. Small depolarizing current (?) pulses create proportional positive responses. Larger depolarizing current pulses reach a threshold, and action potential!

Action potentials can be functionally divided into six phases.

The functional phases of action potentials.

The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

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The functional phases of action potentials.

The functional phases of action potentials.

Na+

K+

How do we know what happens during the six phases of action potentials?

Voltage clamp electrophysiology: holds voltage constant, measures current required to do this.

Command

Current (not voltage!)

Current sign indicates which way positive charges are moving (net).

This is the time-dependent pattern of current that occurs upon depolarization.

This is actually a composite of two separate currents: Na+ and K+.

We can tell this by blocking one channel, then the other.

We can tell this by blocking one channel, then the other.

Or by removing ions in the extracellular space.

Cell interior [A+]=10mM. [B+]=100mM. [C--]=100mM. [D--]=10mM. [A+]=100mM. [B+]=10mM. [C--]=10mM. [D--]=100mM.

The cell is at a resting potential of -58mV. The membrane potential Vm will ______ after the following changes in membrane permeability to ions A, B, C, D:

PA is increased. PB is decreased.

Cell interior [A+]=10mM. [B+]=100mM. [C--]=100mM. [D--]=10mM. [A+]=100mM. [B+]=10mM. [C--]=10mM. [D--]=100mM.

The cell is at a resting potential of -58mV. The membrane potential Vm will ______ after the following changes in membrane permeability to ions A, B, C, D:

pA is increased. pB is decreased.

The patch clamp technique

Sodium potassium pump