Neurobiology 15-BIOL-540 Winter, 2012 Lecture 3

-65mV

Na+ (440mM) ENa = +56mV

chemical Na+ (50mM)

electrical electrical
K+ (20mM) EK = -76mV

chemical K+ (400mM) electrical

Cl- (40mM)

chemicalCl- (560mM) electrical

ECl- = -66mV

Ca2+ (0.0001mM)

chemical electrical

Ca2+ (10mM) ECa2+- = +145mV

1. Which membrane potential generates the greatest flux of potassium through open potassium channels? a) b) c) d)
-65mV

-30mV -40mV -50mV -60mV

-76mV

No net force!

1. Which membrane potential generates the greatest flux of sodium through open sodium channels? a) b) c) d)
-65mV

-30mV -40mV -50mV -60mV

+54mV

No net force!

What happens to arrows, and current flow, if I set Vm to an arbitrary value?

Recall lecture 2 experiment with chambers and voltmeter.

K+ Cl-1

due to conc. diff.

Replace voltmeter with battery.

1. K+ at Vm = -65mV. 2. K+ at EK. 3. Cl- at Vm = -10mV. 4. Ca2+ at Vm = +70mV. 5. Na+ at ENa. 6. Na+ at Vm = +70mV

 Q: Why is the normal (resting) membrane potential (-65mV) so much closer to equilibrium for K+ than Na+? A: Each ion contributes membrane potential according to: 1. electrical gradient 2. chemical gradient 3. AND the degree to which the ions are allowed to pass in or out following these gradients Na+ leaks in positive charge moving inward due to large chemical and electrical gradients, but membrane has low permeability for Na+. K+ leaks out positive charge moving outward because chemical gradient is larger than electrical gradient, and membrane has high permeability for K+. so whats the relationship between ion charge and concentration and the final membrane potential?

Vm

Note that this is just an extension of the Nernst eq.

Vm

For simplicity, state all permeabilities in terms of PK

Vm

Vm

Vm

Vm

Vm

If you change P for any ion, you change Vm.

Vm

What will be the effect of changing PNa from very small to very large?

Changing P is the basis for encoding and transmitting information.

Cell interior [A+]=10mM. [B+]=100mM. [C--]=100mM. [D--]=10mM. [A+]=100mM. [B+]=10mM. [C--]=10mM. [D--]=100mM.

The cell is at a resting potential of -58mV. The membrane potential Vm will ______ after the following changes in membrane permeability to ions A, B, C, D:

pA is increased. pB is increased. pB is decreased.

Membrane conductance changes underlying the action potential are time- and voltage-dependent