Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
The muscle action potential lasts roughly 2–4 ms, the absolute refractory period is roughly 1–3 ms, and the conduction velocity along the muscle is roughly 5 m/s. The action potential releases calcium ions that free up the tropomyosin and allow the muscle to contract.
The action potential travels from one location in the cell to another, but ion flow across the membrane occurs only at the nodes of Ranvier. As a result, the action potential signal jumps along the axon, from node to node, rather than propagating smoothly, as they do in axons that lack a myelin sheath.
The slope of phase 0 on the action potential waveform (see figure 2) represents the maximum rate of voltage change of the cardiac action potential and is known as dV/dt max. In pacemaker cells (e.g. sinoatrial node cells ), however, the increase in membrane voltage is mainly due to activation of L-type calcium channels.
The threshold potential is the potential an excitable cell membrane, such as a myocyte, must reach in order to induce an action potential. [7] This depolarization is caused by very small net inward currents of calcium ions across the cell membrane, which gives rise to the action potential. [8] [9]
A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. B. Actual recordings of action potentials are often distorted compared to the schematic view because of variations in electrophysiological techniques used to make the recording.
At the peak action potential, K + channels open and the cell becomes (c) hyperpolarized. Voltage gated ion channels respond to changes in the membrane potential. Voltage gated potassium, chloride and sodium channels are key components in the generation of the action potential as well as hyper-polarization.
Once this initial action potential is initiated, principally at the axon hillock, it propagates down the length of the axon. Under normal conditions, the action potential would attenuate very quickly due to the porous nature of the cell membrane. To ensure faster and more efficient propagation of action potentials, the axon is myelinated ...
Figure FHN: To mimick the action potential, the FitzHugh–Nagumo model and its relatives use a function g(V) with negative differential resistance (a negative slope on the I vs. V plot). For comparison, a normal resistor would have a positive slope, by Ohm's law I = GV, where the conductance G is the inverse of resistance G=1/R.