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Lab Report

Raabia Ansari wrote a lab report for their BIOL 4510 class on September 22, 2015. The report discusses an experiment performed with lab partners Lendie Guinn, Michelle Swanner, and their table group. Their TA was Jerrod Tynes. The introduction discusses how neurons transmit electrical signals through the movement of ions across their plasma membranes, maintaining a resting potential of around -70mV. When the membrane potential reaches a threshold of 15-30mV above resting, voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels open, initiating an action potential along the axon through the movement of sodium and potassium ions. The full lab experiment will study compound action potentials in bullfrog sciatic nerves elicited by electron stimulation.

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49 views2 pages

Lab Report

Raabia Ansari wrote a lab report for their BIOL 4510 class on September 22, 2015. The report discusses an experiment performed with lab partners Lendie Guinn, Michelle Swanner, and their table group. Their TA was Jerrod Tynes. The introduction discusses how neurons transmit electrical signals through the movement of ions across their plasma membranes, maintaining a resting potential of around -70mV. When the membrane potential reaches a threshold of 15-30mV above resting, voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels open, initiating an action potential along the axon through the movement of sodium and potassium ions. The full lab experiment will study compound action potentials in bullfrog sciatic nerves elicited by electron stimulation.

Uploaded by

Raabia Ansari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Raabia Ansari

BIOL 4510 Section 503


CAP Lab
Date Performed: 22 September 2015
Date Due: 6 October 2015
Partners: Lendie Guinn, Michelle Swanner, and Table 3
TA: Jerrod Tynes

Introduction
Neurons, specialized cells that transmit nerve impulses, are responsible for
propagation of electrical signals. A neuron is able to conduct an electrical impulse
due to the electrochemical gradient present within the plasma membrane of the
neuron. Although the resting potential is typically about -70mV, it can be changed
at any time due to the distribution and charge of ions. These ions are inside and
outside the neuron, and their relation to membrane potential can be described by
the Nernst equation. When a neuronal plasma membrane is at rest, the
concentration of sodium ions is much higher outside of the cell than inside the cell.
In contrast, the typical concentration of potassium ions is larger inside the cell.
When a localized depolarization of the neuronal membrane has reached a certain
value above its resting potential. This value, typically 15-30 mV higher, is the
threshold value. When voltage gated sodium/potassium channels in the membrane
open, an action potential is propagated. First, Na channels open which causes
depolarization due to Na flowing down its concentration gradient. This results in a
wave of action potential, which goes along the axon length. When membrane
potential raises to 35 mV, potassium channels open and sodium channels close.
This allows potassium to quickly leave the axon, which returns the axon to a resting
state. Although electric resting potential is restored, the sodium potassium pump is
still responsible for the redistribution of ions across the membrane.
Electron stimulation elicits each axon simultaneously, and each axon selfpropagates an action potential fully. Every axon conducts an all-or-none action
potential, and the collective response is referred to as a compound action potential.
These do not naturally occur, but we are going to study them to find out more about
thresholds, refractory periods, temporal summation, strength curves, and
conduction velocity. For this lab we will be utilizing the sciatic nerve of a bullfrog.

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