Physiology 3120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Asphyxia, Acetylcholine, Brainstem

• School: Western University
• Department: Physiology
• Course: Physiology 3120
• Professor: Tom Stavraky

Document Summary

If the neuron is suppressed from generating aps, epsps would continue to depolarize the neuron until it reached the equilibrium potential for sodium. If neuron is already at the equilibrium potential of chloride (-90 mv), an ipsp cannot do anything and will only keep it at that potential. Need many epsps to generate an action potential. Stimuli are epsps and summation determines how the neuron responds to the epsps. Summation can occur in two ways: both processes occur in the body, these mechanisms occur so the neuron can reach threshold and generate an ap. This is different than what happens at the nmj: nmj: one ap generates a response, cns: need many epsps to generate an ap. Need spatial and summative effects because unlike the nmj, one ap on the presynaptic neuron does not generate an ap on the post synaptic neuron. Refers to the summing of synaptic potentials (epsp and ipsp) at different spatial locations on a neuron.