Illustrated Notes on

Basic Cellular Biophysics

Modified from Michael J Berry II

MCN 2010 Lecture Notes

Equivalent Circuit Model of a Neuron

Resting Potential: Electrochemical Equilibrium

!!!! ! ! !"#
! !! !"
! ! !"
Common Ionic Concentrations

EK = !75 mV
ENa = +55 mV
ECl = !70 mV
ECa " +150 mV
 Out of Equilibrium

For V > VX current flows into cell: IX > 0
For V < VX current flows out of cell: IX < 0

I-V curve (current-voltage):

(
IK = ! K V " VK )
 Multiple Kinds of Ions

Several I-V curves in parallel:

New equivalent circuit:


Passive Membrane Properties

C 1F / cm 2
Compact Cell Model (isopotential
voltage)

dVm (Vm Vr )
C = I inj +
dt R
Vr + I inj R
Vr

I inj
t
Real Data from Lobster Axon

 Passive Properties: Long Cable
Describe cable as a series of RC circuits

Allow the thickness of each segment
!x " zero


rm: ohm-cm

ra: ohm/cm
units:
im: A/cm
1 2Vm ( x, t )
= im ( x, t ) cm: F/cm
ra 2
x m = rmcm
Vm ( x, t ) Vrest Vm
im ( x, t ) = + cm I inj ( x, t ) rm
rm t =
ra

2 2Vm ( x, t ) Vm ( x, t )
=m + (Vm ( x, t ) Vrest ) rm I inj ( x, t )
x 2 t
Putting it All Together

 The Action Potential

Equivalent circuit model

METHODS: Squid Giant Axon
 METHODS: Voltage Clamp
Currents are voltage-gated, so must control voltage

 METHODS: Voltage Clamp II
Capacitive current when applying voltage command

Inward and outward currents when depolarizing

Separation of Currents

Two Sources of Voltage Dependence

( )
INa V, t = ( ) (
g Na V, t i V ! VNa )
conductance
driving force

( ) ( )
INa V, t ( )
IK V, t
g Na V, t =
V ! VNa
( )
g K V, t =
V ! VK
 Measuring Conductances

INa activates, then inactivates

IK has shallow S-shaped activation, but exponential inactivation

 Temporal Dynamics

Ansatz:

( ) ( )
4
g K V, t = g K n V, t

decay: () (
n t ! exp ! t " )
 Activation Variable: n(V,t)

For a fixed voltage, V:

()
dn t
!n
dt
= ()
n" # n t

Change of variables:

d! t ()
() ()
! t " n t # n$ %n
dt
= ()
#! t

d! T ()
T"
t
%n dT
= ()
#! T
 Temporal Dynamics

Rise:







Decay:

1.0
1.0
n
4

Activation Variable
0.8 n
Activation Variable

0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 n 0.4
4
n 0.2
0.2

0.0 0.0

0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s) Time (s)
 Equations for the Active Currents

Conductances:

gK = gK n4
g Na = g Na m h 3

Currents:

(
IK = g K V ! VK )
(
INa = g Na V ! VNa )
 Putting All the Channels Together

C
dV
dt
( ) ( ) ( )
= ! g L V ! VL ! g K n 4 V ! VK ! g Na m3 h V ! VNa + I ext

g Na gK gL
C
VNa VK VL

 Current (A/cm^2)
Results: Single Spike

20

40
40 Voltage

Conductance (mmho/cm^2)
g_Na
20 g_K
30
Voltage (mV)

0
20
-20

-40
10
-60

-80 0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Time (ms)
Results: Activation Variable

20

Current
0
40
20
Voltage (mV)

0
-20
-40
-60
-80
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time (ms)
1.0
n
0.8 m
Activation Variable

h
0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time (ms)