PhysioEx Lab Report

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses

Activity 4: The Action Potential: Importance of Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels
Name: Edvin Merida
Date: 12 April 2023
Session ID: session-02185c85-272c-c9d6-6aad-5c412f5abe87

Pre-lab Quiz Results

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

1 Voltage-gated Na+ channels are membrane channels that open

You correctly answered: when the membrane depolarizes.

2 When open, Na+ channels allow

You correctly answered: Na+ ions to diffuse into the cell.

3 Which of the following is true of an action potential?

You correctly answered: All of these answers are correct.

4 Which of the following can reduce the likelihood of an action potential?

You correctly answered: All of these can reduce the likelihood of an action potential.

Experiment Results
Predict Questions
1 Predict Question 1: If you apply TTX between recording electrodes R1 and R2, what effect
will the TTX have on the action potentials at R1 and R2?

Your answer: TTX will block the response at R1 but have no effect at R2.

2 Predict Question 2: If you apply lidocaine between recording electrodes R1 and R2, what
effect will the lidocaine have on the action potentials at R1 and R2?

Your answer: Lidocaine will block the response at R2 but have no effect at R1.

Stop & Think Questions

1 Enter the peak value of the response at R1 and R2.

You answered: 45 μV.

2 With a slower timescale, the appearance of the action potentials generated at R1 and R2
will appear to
 You correctly answered: be compressed in time but have the same peak value of
response.

3 Why do you think TTX is not used during dental procedures?

You correctly answered: TTX irreversibly blocks voltage-gated sodium channels in axonal
membranes.

Experiment Data
Condition Stimulus Electrode Peak Peak Peak Peak Peak
Voltage Value of Value of Value of Value of Value of
(mV) Response Response Response Response Response
(μV) 2 sec (μV) 4 sec (μV) 6 sec (μV) 8 sec (μV) 10
sec
Control 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
Control 30 R2 100 100 100 100 100
TTX 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
TTX 30 R2 100 100 0 0 0
Lidocaine 30 R1 100 100 100 100 100
Lidocaine 30 R2 100 100 100 0 0
Post-lab Quiz Results
You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1 In the control, the amplitudes of the action potentials at R1 and R2 are the same. Which
of the following explains this?

You correctly answered: All of these are reasonable explanations.

2 Blocking the voltage-gated Na+ channels between R1 and R2 with TTX blocks

You correctly answered: the propagation of the action potential from R1 to R2.

3 When voltage-gated Na+ channels between R1 and R2 are blocked with TTX, an action
potential is still recorded at R1 because

You correctly answered: the voltage-gated Na+ channels between the stimulus and R1 are
unaffected by the TTX.
4 Puffer fish must be prepared carefully and properly before they can be eaten. Eating
puffer fish can cause numbness of the lips, probably because

You correctly answered: action potentials from sensory neurons in the lips are blocked.

Review Sheet Results

1 What does TTX do to voltage-gated Na+ channels?

Your answer:

El TTX bloquea selectivamente los canales de sodio dependientes de voltaje, impidiendo

que los iones de sodio entren en la célula.

2 What does lidocaine do to voltage-gated Na+ channels? How does the effect of lidocaine
differ from the effect of TTX?

Your answer:

La lidocaína bloquea los canales de sodio dependientes de voltaje, impidiendo que los
iones de sodio entren en la célula y previniendo la generación del potencial de acción
neuronal.
a diferencia del TTX, la lidocaína actúa de manera no selectiva, lo que significa que
también puede afectar otros tipos de canales iónicos en la célula.

3 A nerve is a bundle of axons, and some nerves are less sensitive to lidocaine. If a nerve,
rather than an axon, had been used in the lidocaine experiment, the responses recorded
at R1 and R2 would be the sum of all the action potentials (called a compound action
potential). Would the response at R2 after lidocaine application necessarily be zero? Why
or why not?

Your answer:

Dado que algunos axones podrían no verse afectados por la acción de la lidocaína, el
resultado no tendría por qué ser 0.

4 Why are fewer action potentials recorded at recording electrodes R2 when TTX is applied
between R1 and R2? How well did the results compare with your prediction?

Your answer:

Cuando se aplica TTX entre R1 y R2, se bloquean los canales de sodio dependientes de
voltaje en esa región de la neurona. Esto impide la entrada de iones de sodio en la célula
y, por lo tanto, previene la generación del potencial de acción neuronal. Como resultado,
se registran menos potenciales de acción en los electrodos de registro R2 cuando se
aplica TTX.
5 Why are fewer action potentials recorded at recording electrodes R2 when lidocaine is
applied between R1 and R2? How well did the results compare with your prediction?

Your answer:

se bloquean los canales de sodio dependientes de voltaje en esa región de la neurona.

Esto impide la entrada de iones de sodio en la célula y previene la generación del
potencial de acción neuronal. Por lo tanto, se registran menos potenciales de acción en
los electrodos de registro R2 cuando se aplica lidocaína entre R1 y R2.

6 Pain-sensitive neurons (called nociceptors) conduct action potentials from the skin or
teeth to sites in the brain involved in pain perception. Where should a dentist inject the
lidocaine to block pain perception?

Your answer:

en el área cercana al nervio que inerva el diente o la zona donde se va a realizar el

procedimiento dental.