PSY 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Electrochemical Gradient, Axon Hillock, Schwann Cell

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2301
• Professor: Andree- Anne Ledoux

Document Summary

Potassium and large proteins (a-) are primarily inside the cell. there are open potassium and chloride channels. If you have many of these that can sum together you can get an action potential which can activate the next neuron the cell is no longer at rest. Hyperpolarization: increase in electrical charge across a membrane (to -90 mv: usually due to the inward flow of chloride ions or outward flow of potassium ions, when you get more negative you have inhibition of the signal. Flow of sodium into the cell, the cell depolarizes! We have reversal of polarity +30 mv: now at +30, sodium gates close, and now the potassium gate opens and you repolarize. Potassium now leaves the cell to try and get back to resting membrane potential: you then get relatively refractory period, where the membrane is hyperpolarized, and it is very difficult to trigger another action potential!