Anatomy & Physiology

SIXTH EDITION

Chapter 12, part 2

Neural tissue

PowerPoint Lecture Slide Presentation prepared by

Dr. Kathleen A. Ireland, Biology Instructor, Seabury Hall, Maui, Hawaii

Copyright 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Frederic H. Martini

Fundamentals of

SECTION 12-4
Neurophysiology: Ions and Electrical Signals

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The transmembrane potential

Electrochemical gradient
Sum of all chemical and electrical forces acting
across the cell membrane
Sodium-potassium exchange pump stabilizes
resting potential at ~70 mV

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Figure 12.11 An Introduction to the Resting

Potential

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Figure 12.11

Electrochemical Gradients

An electrochemical gradient has two components.

First, the electrical component is caused by a charge
difference across the lipid membrane. Second, a
chemical component is caused by a differential
concentration of ions across the membrane. The
combination of these two factors determines the
thermodynamically favorable direction for an ion's
movement across a membrane.

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Figure 12.12 Electrochemical Gradients

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Figure 12.12

Changes in the transmembrane potential

Membrane contains
Passive (leak) channels that are always open
Active (gated) channels that open and close in
response to stimuli

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Figure 12.13 Gated Channels

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Figure 12.13

Three types of active channels

Chemically regulated channels

Voltage-regulated channels
Mechanically regulated channels

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Graded potential

A change in potential that decreases with

distance
Localized depolarization or hyperpolarization

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Figure 12.14 Graded Potentials

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Figure 12.14.1

Figure 12.14 Graded Potentials

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Figure 12.14.2

Figure 12.15 Depolarization and

Hyperpolarization

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Figure 12.15

Action Potential

Appears when region of excitable membrane

depolarizes to threshold
Steps involved
Membrane depolarization and sodium
channel activation
Sodium channel inactivation
Potassium channel activation
Return to normal permeability
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Figure 12.16 The Generation of an Action

Potential

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Figure 12.16.1

Figure 12.16 The Generation of an Action

Potential

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Figure 12.16.2

Characteristics of action potentials

Generation of action potential follows allor-none principle
Refractory period lasts from time action
potential begins until normal resting
potential returns
Continuous propagation
spread of action potential across entire
membrane in series of small steps
salutatory propagation
action potential spreads from node to
node, skipping internodal membrane
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Figure 12.17 Propagation of an Action Potential

along an Unmyelinated Axon

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Figure 12.17

Figure 12.18 Saltatory Propagation along a

Myelinated Axon

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Figure 12.18.1

Figure 12.18 Saltatory Propagation along a

Myelinated Axon

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Figure 12.18.2

Axon classification

Type A fibers
Type B fibers
Type C fibers
Based on diameter, myelination and
propagation speed

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Muscle action potential versus neural action

potential

Muscle tissue has higher resting potential

Muscle tissue action potentials are longer lasting
Muscle tissue has slower propagation of action
potentials

PLAY

Animation: The action potential

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