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Resting Membrane Potential Explained

This document discusses the resting membrane potential of neurons. It begins by explaining that the membrane potential is the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of a cell. It then describes how intracellular and extracellular electrodes are used to record a neuron's membrane potential. At rest, the potential inside the neuron is about -70mV less than outside, called the resting potential. This polarization is caused by an unequal distribution of ions across the neural membrane, driven both passively by concentration gradients and actively through energy-consuming ion pumps and transporters. Specifically, sodium-potassium pumps actively transport 3 sodium ions out in exchange for 2 potassium ions in, helping to maintain the -70mV resting potential.

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242 views21 pages

Resting Membrane Potential Explained

This document discusses the resting membrane potential of neurons. It begins by explaining that the membrane potential is the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of a cell. It then describes how intracellular and extracellular electrodes are used to record a neuron's membrane potential. At rest, the potential inside the neuron is about -70mV less than outside, called the resting potential. This polarization is caused by an unequal distribution of ions across the neural membrane, driven both passively by concentration gradients and actively through energy-consuming ion pumps and transporters. Specifically, sodium-potassium pumps actively transport 3 sodium ions out in exchange for 2 potassium ions in, helping to maintain the -70mV resting potential.

Uploaded by

frena tabernilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 4:

NEURAL CONDUCTION AND SYNAPTIC


TRANSMISSION

RESTING MEMBRANE
POTENTIAL
Frenalyne B. Tabernilla
AB - Psychology III-A

The key to understanding how neurons


work and how they malfunction- is the
membrane potential.

MEMBRANE POTENTIAL- the difference


in electrical charge between the inside
and the outside of a cell.

RECORDING THE MEMBRANE POTENTIAL

To record a neurons membrane


potential, it is necessary to position the
tip of one electrode inside the neuron
and the tip of another electrode outside
the neuron in the extracellular fluid.

Although the size of the extracellular


electrode is not critical, it is paramount
that the tip of the intracellular
electrode be fine enough to pierce the
neural membrane without severely
damaging it.

Intracellular electrodes are called


MICROELECTRODES; their tips are
less than one-thousandth of a
millimeter in diameter much too small
to be seen by the naked eye.

RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL

When the tip of the intracellular


electrode is inserted into a neuron, a
steady potential of about -70 millivolts
(mV) is recorded.
This indicates that the potential inside
the resting neuron is about 70 mV less
than that outside the neuron.

The steady membrane potential of


about -70 Mv is called the neurons
resting potential.

In its resting state, with the -70 mV


charge built up across its membrane, a
neuron is said to be polarized.

IONIC BASIS OF THE RESTING


POTENTIAL

Why are resting neurons polarized?


--Like all salts in solution, the salts in
neural tissue separate into positively
and negatively charged particles called
IONS.

Two homogenizing factors that act to


distribute ions equally throughout the
intracellular and extracellular fluids of
the nervous system are the;
Random Motion
Electrostatic Pressure

For random motion, they are more likely to


move from areas of high concentration to
areas of low concentration than vice versa.

For electrostatic pressure, any accumulation


of charges, positive or negative, in one area
tends to be dispersed by the repulsion among
the like charges in the vicinity and the
attraction of opposite concentrated
elsewhere.

There are four kinds of ions contribute


significantly to the resting potential.

Sodium Ions (Na+)


Potassium Ions (K+)
Chloride Ions (Cl-), and;
Various negatively charged protein ions

Two properties of the neural membrane


are responsible for the unequal
distribution of sodium ions (Na+),
potassium ions (K+), chloride ions (Cl-),
and protein ions in resting neurons.

One of these properties is PASSIVE- it does not


involve the consumption of energy.

The other is ACTIVE- does involve the


consumption of energy.

Ions pass through the neural membrane at


specialized pores called ion channels, each
type of which is specialized for the passage of
particular ions.

In its resting state, more sodium ions


(Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) are
outside the neuron than inside, and
more potassium ions (K+) and
negatively charged protein ions are
inside the neuron than outside.

In the 1950s, the classic experiments of


neurophysiologists Alan Hodgkin and
Andrew Huxley provided the first
evidence that an energy consuming
process is involved in the maintenance
of the resting potential.

THE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE FACTORS THAT INLFUENCE THE DISTRIBUTION


OF SODIUM IONS, POTASSIUM IONS AND CHLORIDE IONS ACROSS THE
NEURAL MEMBRANE.

Passive factors continuously drive


potassium ions (K+) out of the resting
neuron and sodium ions (Na+) ions in;
therefore, potassium ions (K+) must be
actively pumped in and sodium ions
(Na+) must be actively pumped out to
maintain the resting equilibrium.

It was subsequently discovered that the


transport of sodium ions out of neurons
and the transport of potassium ions into
them are not independent processes.

Sodium-potassium Pumps- performed


by energy consuming mechanisms in the
cell membrane that continually exchange
three sodium ions (Na+) inside the neuron
for two potassium ions (K+) outside.

Transporters- mechanisms in the


membrane of a cell that actively
transport ions or molecules across the
membrane.

Thank you!

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