PhysioEx Lab Report

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses

Activity 1: The Resting Membrane Potential
Name: suci
Date: 22 September 2023
Session ID: session-716c72b2-a608-ca35-ce2f-e87b5e2e12b8

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.

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?

Your answer: into the cell.

Correct answer: out of the cell .

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

Your answer: It increases the net diffusion of K+.

Correct answer: It decreases the net diffusion of K+.

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

Your answer: Na+ would diffuse out of the cell.

Correct answer: 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?

Your answer: Na+ channels are mostly open.

Correct answer: 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 33% by answering 1 out of 3 questions correctly.

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

Your answer: just inside the cell body.

Correct answer: 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+.

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3 Which of the following has the most negative voltage?

Your answer: between the outside of the axon and outside the cell body with
High K+ ECF.

Correct answer: 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.

You did not answer this question.

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?

You did not answer this question.

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

You did not answer this question.

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

neuron.

You did not answer this question.

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

membrane potential.

You did not answer this question.

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