PSYC 271 Lecture Notes - Axon Terminal, Curare, Autonomic Nervous System
27 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
L4: neural conduction & synaptic transmission: resting membrane potential. Microelectrodes are thin electrodes one is placed inside the neuron. Spatial & temporal summation and the other tip in the extracellular fluid. It exists because + and ions are distributed unequally on the two sides of the neural membrane. There are 4 factors that determines the ionic distribution of the resting potential. Ions in solution are in random motion so there can be an accumulation of a particular class of ions in one area. This increases the probability that random motion moves ions out of the area because there are more ions available to leave or not move more ions into the area because there are fewer ions available to come in. Like charges repel and opposite charges attract, thus, electrostatic pressure disperses any accumulation of + or charges in an area. Ions pass through membrane at special pores called ion channels.
