11/1/21, 10:25 AM PhysioEx Exercise 3 Activity 1

PhysioEx Lab Report

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses

Activity 1: The Resting Membrane Potential

Name: ПАВЕЛ МИЛЕНКОВСКИ 153788

Date: 1 November 2021

Session ID: session-f2b3b989-e077-a956-8c6d-b47a8c48773c

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1 What is the approximate concentration of K+ inside a typical cell (intracellular

concentration)?

You correctly answered: 150 mM.

2 What is the approximate concentration of K+ outside a cell (extracellular concentration)?

You correctly answered: 5 mM.

3 What is the approximate concentration of Na+ inside a cell (intracellular concentration)?

You correctly answered: 5 mM.

4 What is the approximate concentration of Na+ outside a cell (extracellular concentration)?

You correctly answered: 150 mM.

Experiment Results
Predict Question
1 Predict Question: Predict what will happen to the resting membrane potential if the
extracellular K+ concentration is increased.

Your answer: The resting membrane potential will become less negative.

Stop & Think Questions

1 What is the polarity of the resting membrane potential (voltage)?

You correctly answered: negative.

2 What does it mean that the voltage just inside the membrane is negative?

You correctly answered: There are more negative charges than positive charges just inside
the membrane.
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3 The membrane of most cells, including neurons, contains passive, open, K+ leak channels.
Given the normal K+ concentrations and the resultant concentration gradient, which
direction would K+ be expected to move (diffuse) through these leak channels?

You correctly answered: out of the cell .

4 What effect does increasing extracellular K+ have on the net diffusion of K+ out of the cell?

You correctly answered: It decreases the net diffusion of K+.

5 Which way would Na+ move across the membrane if there were open Na+ channels?

You correctly answered: Na+ would diffuse into the cell.

6 The membrane has open K+ channels, and changing extracellular K+ concentration results in
a change in membrane potential. Changing the extracellular Na+ concentration does not
significantly change the membrane potential. What do your results suggest about the
number or state (open or closed) of Na+ channels in the resting membrane of a neuron?

You correctly answered: Na+ channels are mostly closed.

Experiment Data

Extracellular Fluid (ECF) Microelectrode Position Voltage (mV)

Control Cell body, extracellular 0
Control Cell body, intracellular -70
Control Axon, extracellular 0
Control Axon, intracellular -70
High K+ Axon, intracellular -40
High K+ Axon, extracellular 0
High K+ Cell body, extracellular 0
High K+ Cell body, intracellular -40
Low Na+ Cell body, intracellular -72
Low Na+ Cell body, extracellular 0
Low Na+ Axon, extracellular 0
Low Na+ Axon, intracellular -72

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Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 3 out of 3 questions correctly.

1 A negative membrane potential was recorded when the tip of the microelectrode was

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You correctly answered: both inside the cell body and inside the axon.

2 Which of the following caused a change in membrane potential from -70 to -40 in the cell
body?

You correctly answered: an increase in extracellular K+.

3 Which of the following has the most negative voltage?

You correctly answered: between the inside of the axon and the outside of the axon with
control K+ ECF.

Review Sheet Results

1 Explain why increasing extracellular K+ reduces the net diffusion of K+ out of the neuron
through the K+ leak channels.

Your answer:

Бидејќи ја менува дифузијата.

2 Explain why increasing extracellular K+ causes the membrane potential to change to a less
negative value. How well did the results compare with your prediction?

Your answer:

Мембранскиот потенцијал станува помалку негативен затоа што се менува дифузијата.

3 Explain why a change in extracellular Na+ did not significantly alter the membrane potential
in the resting neuron?

Your answer:

Бидејќи натриумовите канали се повеќето затворени.

4 Discuss the relative permeability of the membrane to Na+ and K+ in a resting neuron.

Your answer:

К има канали што протекуваат додека Na воглавно се затворени.

5 Discuss how a change in Na+ or K+ conductance would affect the resting membrane
potential.

Your answer:

Високата концентрација на К надвор од клетката ја намалува нето дифузијата на К и

Na, каналите се главно затворени што не би правело голема разлика.

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