The nervous impulse

So far we have looked at

- The different types of stimuli that can enter our
body
- The different types of receptors we can have and
looked at 2 in detail (photoreceptors and
pancinian corpuscles)
- How a receptor works in terms of resting
potential, generator potential and action potential
- How the central nervous system is involved in
controlling heart rate

Stimulus Receptors CNS Effectors Response

Remember the eye?
•The receptor receives the light impulse (and converts it into chemical energy that can be used
by the neurone)
•The stimulus will bleach the light sensitive pigments causing a chemical change, the membrane
becomes more permeable and sodium ions flood in - if the threshold is reached an action
potential occurs
•This sends a NERVE IMPULSE along the neurone
Remember that a receptor converts the
energy of the stimulus into the electrical
energy that can be used by neurones

The neurones then take that electrical

energy and pass it on to other neurones,
the brain or to effectors
 Stimulus Receptors CNS Effectors Response
Sensory Motor
neurone neurone

Its the neurones job to transmit the electrical charges (nerve impulses) to the next neurone, to
the CNS or to an effector.
The electrical charges are created by the movement of sodium and potassium ions in and out of
the neurones membrane .....

You will learn about the structure of neurones later

 The nervous impulse
When a
neurone is at
rest (so not
being
stimulated) the
outside of the
membrane is
positively
charged
compared to
the outside –
the membrane
is polarised

Imagine this is a magnified image of the neurones cell membrane

 Resting Potential
The voltage across the membrane when it is at
rest is called the resting potential and its
about -70mV (milli volts)
 Resting Membrane Potential
The resting potential
of a neurone is
maintained by two
proteins found in the
cell membrane

– The sodium
potassium pump
– The potassium ion
channel
 Resting Membrane Potential
The sodium
potassium pump
uses active
transport to move
three sodium ions
(Na+) out of the
neurone for every
two potassium ions
(K+) moved in

Active transport – movement of molecules and ions across

membranes against a concentration gradient so requires energy
 Resting Membrane Potential
The potassium ion
channel uses
facilitated diffusion
of the potassium
ions (K+) out of the
neurone, down their
concentration
gradient

Facilitated diffusion – The diffusion of particles through carrier

proteins or channel proteins in a plasma membrane
How resting potential is maintained

1. The sodium potassium pumps move sodium

ions out of the neurone.

The membrane isn't permeable to sodium ions

so they cant diffuse back in

This creates an electrochemical gradient (a

concentration gradients of ions) because there
are more positive sodium ions on the outside
of the cell than the inside
How resting potential is maintained

2. The sodium potassium pump also moves

potassium ions into a neurone
 How resting potential is maintained

3. When the cell is at rest most potassium

ion channels are open

This means that the membrane is

permeable to potassium ions so some
diffuse back out through potassium ion
channels
*NOTE* there are also sodium ion
channels as well as potassium ion
channels but these are closed when
the cell is at rest so isn't shown in
this diagram
 Examiners Tip
Even though positive ions are moving in and out
of the cell, in total more positive ions move
out of the cell than enter
This makes the outside of the cell positively
charged compared to the inside
 Examiners Tip 2
Remember SOPI when talking about sodium
potassium pumps

Sodium Out Pottasium In

 Objectives Met so Far
 Describe what resting potential means
 State the two proteins involved in maintaining
resting potential
Know how active transport and facilitated diffusion
are involved in maintaining resting potential
Know how an electrochemical gradient is created
Know why the outside of a neurone is positively
charged and the inside negatively charged
The resting potential of a neurone is maintained by the unequal distribution of ions inside and outside the plasma membrane. The diagram
shows the plasma membrane of a neurone and the three different proteins that are involved in maintaining the resting potential.

(a)     Protein C requires ATP to function. Describe the role of protein C.

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
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(2)
S       (b)     (i)      Proteins A and B differ from each other. Explain why different proteins are required for the diffusion of different ions through
the membrane.
.............................................................................................................
(2)
(ii)     The plasma membrane of the neurone is more permeable to potassium ions than to sodium ions. Give the evidence from the diagram that
supports this observation.
.............................................................................................................
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(1)
(Total 5 marks)
 (a)     Transports Na+ and K+ ;
By active transport / pump / against concentration gradient;
Restores ion balance after an action potential;
[reject K+ out and Na+ in]
2

(b)     (i)     each protein has a specific tertiary structure / shape;

because the ions have different sizes / shape / charge;
[reject receptors binding]
2

(ii)     fewer protein B molecules, which transport sodium ions / more 

protein A molecules, which transport potassium ions;
1
[5]
 Action Potential
The sodium channels are voltage gated – which means they only
open when the potential difference reaches a certain voltage
(a certain threshold level)

When a neurone is stimulated, a series of changes to the

potential difference occur which could lead to an action
potential. This can be shown in a graph

Note: - depolarised = no longer polarised/no longer positive on

one side and negative on another
1. Stimulus
A stimulus excites the neurone cell
membrane

This causes sodium ion channels to

open

The membrane becomes more

permeable to sodium, so more
sodium ions diffuse into the
neurone down the sodium ion
electrochemical gradient
The inside of the neurone becomes
less negative
2. Depolarisation
If the potential difference
reaches threshold (around
- 55 mV) more sodium ion
channels open.
More sodium ions diffuse into
the neurone
 3. Repolarisation
At a potential difference of around
+30 mV the sodium ion channels
close and potassium ion channels
open.

The membrane is more permeable

to potassium so potassium ions
Na+ channels close K+ channels open diffuse out of the neurone down
the potassium ion concentration
gradient

This is to try and get the neurone

back to its resting potential
 4. Hyperpolarisation
Potassium ion channels are
slow to close so there is a
slight “overshoot” where
too many potassium ions
diffuse out of the neurone
Na+ channels close K+ channels open
The potential difference
becomes more negative
than the resting potential
(i.e. Less than -70 mV)
 5. Resting Potential
The ion channels are reset.
The sodium potassium
pump returns the
membrane to its resting
potential by pumping
Na+ channels close K+ channels open sodium ions out and
potassium ions in

This maintains the resting

potential until the
membrane is excited by
another stimulus