NATS 1610 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Schwann Cell, Oligodendrocyte, Myelin
27 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
All cells have membrane potential, across their plasma membrane: this is because of the uneven distribution of ions between the intercellular and extracellular. Potassium ions (inside cell, positive) lots of potassium inside cell. Sodium ions (outside cell, positive) lots of sodium outside cell. Large proteins (inside cell, negative) lots inside cell. Chloride ions (outside cell, negative) lots of chlorine outside cell. The way these ions move across from the outside of the cell and the inside of the cell is using transport proteins embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. The negative proteins inside the cell attract the positive sodium on the outside of the cell, which makes the membrane of the cell have potential. If you were to remove the membrane, the ions would move rapidly, harnessing that potential. In non excitable cells, the membrane potential never uctuates, so you are always at resting membrane potential. Your skin cells for example are not excitable.
