Reflex Arc

Biology 30 - Unit A - Chapter 13

The Nervous System

Electrochemical Impulse
(p. 415-419)
 Brainstorming…

How does a battery hold potential

energy?
 History & Overview
 1900s - German physiologist Julies Bernstein
proposed that nerve impulses were
electrochemical messages caused by the
movement of ions.
 In 1939 Cole & Curtis looked at a giant squid
axon – found it negative on the inside with
respect to the outside.
 When the nerve was stimulated, this charge
switched becoming positive on the inside for a
few milliseconds, then back to negative again.
 Measuring Membrane Potential Animation
 Resting Potential
 Membrane Potential - the difference in
charge between the outside and inside of
the neuron
 Resting Potential – membrane potential
at rest
 - 70 mV - average resting potential
 Membrane is said to be polarized
 How Resting Potential is
Established
 The outside of the axon contains lots of Na+
– Na+ wants to diffuse in
 The inside of the axon contains lots of K+
– K+ wants to diffuse out
 Membrane is more permeable to K+
 End result – more K+ going out than Na +
coming in, so more +’ve on the outside
 –’ve on the inside
 Sodium-potassium pumps maintain this
difference in charge (between outside and
inside)
 Action Potential
 When a nerve impulse
arrives, membrane
permeability changes
 Na+ channels open, Na+
rushes in
 Inside of neuron is now
more +’ve
 Membrane potential is
now +40 mV
 Called depolarization
 Repolarization
 Action Potential only
lasts 0.2 – 2 ms
 Then Na+ channels
close
 K+ channels open, K+
rushes out
 Charge inside the axon
is –’ve again
 This is called
repolarization
 Refractory Period
 During the repolarization, it becomes more
negative than resting potential
 Called hyperpolarized (-75mV)
 Eventually the sodium-potassium pump
restores balance and position of ions
 The time this takes is the refractory
period (lasts 1 - 10 ms)
 During the refractory period, another action
potential cannot be started
 Propagation of Action Potential
 Learn Alberta Animation
 Action Potential Propagation Animation
 One action potential at one point on an
axon triggers an action potential right next
to it.
 It can only go one way because the area
that it just came from is in its refractory
period.
 Extra YouTube Animation
 Myelinated Neurons
 When axons are myelinated – impulse travels by
saltatory conduction
 Action potentials occur only at the nodes
 Saltatory Conduction Animation
 Threshold Level
 Threshold level – the minimum level of
stimulus required to produce a response
 Threshold levels are different in each
neuron
 Once the threshold stimulus is reached, it
is an all-or-none response
 There are no variations in speed or
intensity of the action potential
 Intensity
 The intensity of stimulus can be recognized by:
 1 – More frequent nerve impulse
 2 – Neurons with a higher threshold also fire