HMB200H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Axon Terminal, Axon Hillock, Peripheral Nervous System
1 May 2014
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Action potential is often called a spike, a nerve impulse or a discharge: they are generated by a cell and are similar in size and duration, they don"t diminish as they are conducted down the axon. The frequency and pattern of action potentials constitute the code used by neurons to transfer information from one location to another. The ups and downs of an action potential. A voltmeter is used to measure the electrical potential difference between the tip of the intracellular microelectrode and another placed outside the cell: this is to determine membrane potential, vm, by inserting a microelectrode in the. The oscilloscope records the voltage as it changes over time. The action potential has certain identifiable parts: rising phase (first part) characterized by a rapid depolarization of the membrane. This change in membrane potential continues until vm reaches a peak value of about 40 mv.
