PSYCH 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Resting Potential, Action Potential, Myelin

• School: Ohio State University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 1100
• Professor: Brian Siefke

Document Summary

Lecture 9: the electrochemical actions of neurons: information processing o o. Communication within and between neurons proceeds in two stages- conduction and transmission, together referred to as electrochemical action. First the signal is received and may initiate electrical conduction down the axon. Second, the signal travels chemically across the synapse to the next neuron. Resting potential- the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron"s cell membrane. At rest there is a higher concentration of potassium (k+) on the inside of the cell and sodium (na+) outside of the cell. The flow of ions across the cell membrane is controlled by opening and closing channels that are specific to each ion. The resting potential of a neuron is approximately -70 millivolts. It is when the neuron is not being stimulated/inhibited. Charged molecules, or ions, flow across the cell membrane differentially to set up the resting potential.