ANP 1106 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Resting Potential, Electrochemical Gradient, Axon Hillock

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Anatomy and Physiology
• Course: ANP 1106
• Professor: Jackie Carnegie

Document Summary

Dr. jackie carnegie & dr. w staines: nerve impulse and synaptic transmission. Nerve impulse - neurons are excitable, they are responsive to stimuli by showing depolarization. Some ion molecules in the body (na+, k+, ca2+, cl-) have electrical charge and are unevenly distributed across the cell membraned, this creates a charge separation that results in potential energy (voltage) Voltage: a charge separation energy measured btwn two point, aka a potential; potential energy reslting from separation of oppositely charged particles. Biological potentials have voltages ranging from -90 to -70 but under special circumstances can jump to. Current: flow of charge from one point to another is a result of potential; amount of current depends on the resistance (the impediment to current flow) Insulators have high resistance; conductors have low resistance decrease in resistance = an increase in conductance that permits current flow.