EXCITABLE TISSUES

Dr Joseph Wabwire
• Definition of excitable tissues
• b) Classification of excitable tissue [membrane, nerve,
muscle (skeletal, cardiac and smooth)
• c) Electrical excitability
• d) Membrane potential
• e) Action potential
• f) Neuron action potential and synaptic transmission
• g) Structure of a neuron
• h) Neuro-muscular junction/ transmission
• i) Electrical activity of the heart
AN EXAMPLE OF A CELL WHICH CAN BE EXCITED
 What are Excitable tissues?
• Excitable tissues are those that are made of
cells that can alter their membrane potentials
in response to a stimuli, and generate action
potentials.
• Excitability is the ability of specialized cells to
respond to external stimuli by producing
electric signals known as Action Potentials at
its membranes.
ACTION POTENTIAL
 Classification of excitable tissue
• Mainly 3 Categories;

• a) Neurons. The basic working unit if the peripheral

nervous system.

• b) Muscles 3 types;
1) Skeletal muscle
2) Smooth Muscle
3) Cardiac Muscle

• c) Secretory cells eg Pancreatic cells

 MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
• A  membrane potential or Resting Membrane Potential (RMP)is the
difference between the electric potential in the intracellular and
extracellular matrices of the cell when it isn't excited.

• The potential inside is more negative that that outside.

• Intracellular Fluid is mainly made up of Potassium (K+) ions and
Organic Phosphates + Proteins

• Exracellular fluid mainly has Sodium Na(+) ions and Chloride ions
(CL-)
• In neurons, the Resting Membrane potential is -90mV, in Skeletal
muscle; -90 to -80mV
MEMBRANE POTENTIAL
 ACTION POTENTIAL
• Action potential is the change in the membrane
potential that happens when the excited tissue
is stimulated by a stimulus.

• It consists of mainly two phases; Depolarization

and Repolarization

• Usually followed by two other phases; After-

depolarization and After-hyperpolarization
 Action Potential- Depolarization
• Depolarization This is Loss of the normal resting polarized
state of the normal cell

• Is the rise in membrane potential in the positive direction

from -70mV towards the iso-potential line (Zero-potential)

• The membrane potential reaches +35mV (Indicating that

the inner surface of the membrane becomes positive
relative to the outer surface)

• This is caused by an influx of Sodium ions (Na +) into the

intracellular matrix.
 Action Potential-Repolarization
• Repolarization This is the restoration to the normal resting
membrane potential of a cell.

• It is the fall of the membrane potential in the negative

direction from +35mV to -70mV

• After repolarization is completed, the membrane potential

overshoots in the negative direction (by about 1-2mV)
leading to hyper-polarization or after-hyperpolarization
due to much influx of Potassium ions into the cell.
 EVENTS DURING ACTION POTENTIAL
• Depolarization Exceeds Threshold
• Sodium voltage gated channels open
• Membrane potential shifts from Potassium
controlled (-90mV) to Sodium controlled (+60mV)
• As Membrane Potential reaches the Sodium
potential, the sodium channels close and are
inactivated.
• Potassium channels open to repolarize the
membrane. There is a slight overshoot because of
Potassium ions being more open.
 EVENTS DURING ACTION POTENTIAL
• Repolarization occurs rapidly after Depolarization as a
result of;
• a)Stoppage of Na+ influx due to:
-Closure of Na+ gates
-Reversal of the electric gradient for Na+
• b) Efflux (Exit) of K+ from the nerve fiber
-This occurs through specific K+ located inside the cell
- Decrease in membrane Polarity during DP leads to
opening of K+ Voltage gated channels, thus the efflux of K+
is increased and efflux of K+ occurs.
 THE ALL-OR-NONE LAW
• If the stimulus exceeds a threshold, the
resulting Action Potential is all or none.

• The all-or-none law is a principle that states

that the strength of a response of a nerve cell
or muscle fiber is not dependent upon the
strength of the stimulus. If a stimulus is above a
certain threshold, a nerve or muscle fiber will
fire/ start action potentials.
Neuron action potential and synaptic transmission

• Nerve impulses are propagated along

unmyelinated nerve fibres in the form of a
wave of Action Potentials
• Local circular currents flow between the
activated point and neighbouring inactive areas
of the nerve membrane.
• Positive charges from inactive areas flow into
initial area of negativity produced by Action
Potential. (Current sink)
Neuron action potential and synaptic transmission

• Myelin is an effective insulator

• Nerve impulses are conducted in myelinated
nerve fibres by saltatory conduction.
• Depolarization travels from one node of
Ranvier to the next. This jumping of
depolarization is called Saltatory conduction.
 Saltatory Conduction
• This mechanism increases the velocity of nerve
transmission in myelinated fibers as much as 5- to 50-fold.

• Saltatory conduction conserves energy for the axon

because only the nodes depolarize, allowing perhaps 100
times less loss of ions than would otherwise be necessary.

• Therefore requiring little energy expenditure for re-

establishing the sodium and potassium concentration
differences across the membrane after a series of nerve
impulses.
SALTATORY CONDUCTION
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
 SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
• Synapses are junctions between neurons
• There are two kinds; chemical and electrical
synapses
• Chemical Synapses are the predominant form
of communication between neurons
• The part of the synapse belonging to the
initiating neuron is called the presynaptic
membrane
 SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
• The part of the synapse belonging to the receiving neuron is
called the post synaptic membrane.
• The space between the two is called the synaptic cleft.
• Presynaptic terminals contain numerous synaptic vessicles

• Synaptic vessicles contain neurotransmitters. These are

chemical substances which cause changes n he post synaptic
neuron.

• These include; Acetycholine, Dopamine, Serotonin,

Norepinephrine etc
 SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
• Spatial Summation
• If the number of fibres converging on a single
neuron are stimulating simultaneously with sub
threshold stimuli, the post synaptic neuron may
fire an action potential
• Temporal Summation
• If a sub-threshold stimuli is repeated several
times in quick succession, the post synaptic
neuron may fire.
STRUCTURE OF NEURON
 NEURON MUSCLE TRANSMISSION
• This is the intimate contact between nerve
endings and muscle fibres, where they innervate.
• There is a Terminal button, presynaptic
membrane, synaptic cleft, post synaptic
membrane
• Terminal buttons are small knobs or end feet
which form a neuro-muscular junction
• The vessicles have acetyl-choline
NEURO MUSCULAR JUNCTION
 NEURON MUSCLE TRANSMISSION
• Acetyl Choline is manufactured in
mitochondria and stored in vessicles.
• It is released into the synaptic cleft and
attaches onto nicotinic receptors located on
the post synaptic membrane.
• Acetyl choline is degraded by
acetylcholinesterase enzyme.
•
 Acetyl choline
• Drugs which block acetyl choline transmission include;
• Curae, Bungarotoxin, SuccinylCholine , Carbamycholine,
Botulinum Toxin

• Myasthenia Gravis is an auto immune condition in which

the body releases antibodies against Ach.

• It is treated by administering Neostigmine or Prostigmine

or Tensilon to inhbit acetyl cholinesterase and allow
more acetyl choline to remain at the neuro muscular
junction
CURARE
curare
Bungarus snake, source f Bungaro toxin
Botulinum Toxin
 Electrical activity of the heart

• ASSIGNMENT

• ANY QUESTIONS?

• END