Learning Task: The Nerve Impulse

a. What is the difference between resting and action potentials in nerve impulse transmission?
RESTING POTENTIAL
The membrane maintains an electrical polarization, or a difference in electrical charge between
two places, in the absence of any external disruption. The negatively charged proteins within the
cell are the main reason of the neuron's slightly negative electrical potential relative to the
outside of the membrane.
● This difference in voltage in a resting neuron is called the resting potential. The resting
potential is mainly the result of negatively charged proteins inside the cell. Researchers
can measure the resting potential by inserting a very thin microelectrode into the cell
body. The resting potential prepares the neuron to respond rapidly.

ACTION POTENTIAL
Any subthreshold stimulation produces a small response proportional to the amount of current.
Any stimulation beyond the threshold, regardless of how far beyond, produces the same
response.
● That response, a rapid depolarization and slight reversal of the usual polarization, is
referred to as an action potential. The peak of the action potential varies from one axon
to another, but it is consistent for a given axon.

b. What is the difference between a hyperpolarization and a depolarization?

● A hyperpolarization is an exaggeration of the usual negative charge within a cell (to a
more negative level than usual). If the membrane potential becomes more negative than it
is at the resting potential, the membrane is said to be hyperpolarized.
● A depolarization is a decrease in the amount of negative charge within the cell. If the
membrane potential becomes more positive than it is at the resting potential, the
membrane is said to be depolarized.

c. Why is resting potential important?

It is important for maintaining neuronal health since this ensures that the cell's internal
environment remains stable. It also provides a baseline state from which neurons can efficiently
transmit signals. Neurons need to be polarized (with a negative charge inside relative to outside)
at rest so they can rapidly depolarize and generate action potentials when stimulated. Moreover,
maintaining the resting potential requires energy in the form of ATP, but it's a more energy-
efficient state compared to the active states involved in generating action potentials. This allows
neurons to conserve energy when they are not actively transmitting signals. Other than that, the
resting potential sets the threshold for excitability. Neurons with more negative resting potentials
are less likely to fire action potentials spontaneously, while neurons with less negative resting
potentials are more excitable. This regulation of excitability is essential for proper information
processing in the nervous system.