Membrane Potential

Active Electrical Properties of the Neuron

Synaptic Transmission

( Principles of Neuroscience Ch6, Ch7, Ch8, Ch9, Ch11, Ch12)

Neuron as the functional units of nervous system

Structure of a neuron
1x Neuron: carrying signals
50x Supporting cells: protect, insulate, reinforce, assist neurons

Multiple sclerosis (MS): immune system-myelin sheath

loss of signal conduction, muscle control, brain function

Drawing of the fluid-mosaic model of membranes,

showing the phospholipid bilayer and imbedded proteins.

Ion Channels Are Important for Signaling in

the Nervous System
Ion channels have three important properties
1. They conduct ions
2. They recognize and select specific ions
3. They open and close in response to specific
electrical, mechanical, or chemical signals.
Gates: voltage-gated channels, ligand-gated
channels, mechanically gated channels, non-gated
channels

Ion Channels Are Proteins That Span the Cell Membrane

ion channel
Na+ d = 0.095 nm electric field strength
K+ d = 0.133 nm
ion channel 1 s, binding
Na+ K+

Channel selective

Lipid bilayer: 6-8 nm

Several types of stimuli control the

opening and closing of ion channels

Voltage-gated channel

[Ca++]i

Only a very thin shell of charge difference

is needed to establish a membrane potential.

Resting potential: the voltage across the plasma membrane of a resting neuron

A nerve signal originates as a change in the resting potential: The action potential

Any + ion

Squid giant axons

Hodgkin and Huxley, 1940s
action potential (nerve signal)

Vg Na+ channel open

Vg K+ channel open

One direction
:
refractory period
(Vg Na+ channel inactivation)
all or none
not vary in size

Chemical synapse

Synapse (relay point, junction)

1. Electrical synapse
2. Chemical synapse

Action potential

Any + ion

Vg Na+ channel open

Membrane potential (Ch 7)

Vg K
Ion channel (Ch 6)
Passive electrical properties of the neuron (Ch 8)
Active electrical properties of the neuron (Ch 9)
Synaptic transmission (Ch 10, 11, 12)

channel open

Action potential ( )
1.
-70 mV, K+ permeability ,
2. ,
Na+ , Na+
3. , Na+
Na+ ( )
+35 mV Na+ K+
,K+ ( )
4. K+ , ( K+ )
( K+ permeability )
Na+-K+ pump

Membrane Potential
1. Resting membrane potential
2. Action potential +100 mV
-200 mV

 A + B + permeable membrane

Electrochemical potential ()

Electrochemical potential ()
=driving force
A
B

+ AB
0 no net
- BA

AB
BA

Ln x = 2.303 log x

Electrochemical Equilibrium and the Nernst Equation

A B X

29 2.303 RT/F = 60 mV
ion

29 EK+ -60 mV

 ion

(K+ )
ion

ion

K+

Nernst equation
ion

Na+

Goldman Equation equation

Resting membrane potential

Action potential

K+ (~Na+ 25 ) Na+ Cl-

K+ (~-75 mV) Na+
Na+ Na+
(~+55mV)

A nerve signal originates as a change in the resting potential: The action potential

Any + ion

Giant squid axons

Hodgkin and Huxley, 1940s
action potential (nerve signal)

Vg Na+ channel open

Vg K+ channel open

Action potential ( )
1.
K+ permeability , K+
2. , ,
Na+ , Na+
3. , Na+
Na+ ( )
+35 mV Na+ ,
Na+ K+ ,K+ (
)
4. K+ , ( K+ )
( K+ permeability K+
) Na+-K+ pump

Na+

voltage clamp action potential

V( )= I ( ) x R (1/R
channel )

Vg Na+ channel open

Vg K+ channel open

Refractory period ( )

Opening of voltage-gated channels is all-or-none

Patch-clamp

Genes encoding the K+, Na+, and Ca2+ channels stem

from a common ancestor

Gating of the Na+ channel is thought to rely on

redistribution of net charge in the S4 region

Action potentials move rapidly along myelinated axons because the

only parts of the neuronal membrane that undergo ion movements
are the section at the Nodes of Ranvier.

Active Electrical Properties of

the Neuron
1.
2.
3. All or none
4. Vg Na+ and K+ channel
5.
6.
7. Myelin sheath

Synaptic Transmission

Chemical synapse:

Chemical synapse: neuromuscular junction

1.very accessible to experimentation

2.one muscle one neurotransmitter
3.one presynaptic axon
4.simple mechanism
5.single type of ion channel

Chemical synapse: neuromuscular junction

Nicotinic receptor

Electrophysiological properties: endplate potential (EPP) in muscle cell

Curare ( : ACh receptor antagonist

Summary: neuromusclar junction

Vg Ca2+ channel

Nicotinic receptor
Na+
N receptor

K+

depolarization

Vg Na+ Channel--AP
Vg K+

ATP

Skeletal muscle AP

1. Ca++i
2. Ca++ Ca++ pump
3. Ca++

Central Nervous System

Four primary neurons

communicate to one
secondary neuron.

One primary neuron

communicates to four
secondary neurons.

IPSP and EPSP

1. Spatial summation ( )

2. Temporal summation (
)

 receptor

Chemical synapse: many to one

Central Nervous System

Four primary neurons

communicate to one
secondary neuron.

One primary neuron

communicates to four
secondary neurons.

 (A4 10/31
)
action potential synaptic
transmission ( )