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Potassium ions continue to move out of the axon so much that the resting potential is exceeded and the new cell potential becomes more negative than the resting potential. The resting potential is ultimately re-established by the closing of all voltage-gated ion channels and the activity of the sodium potassium ion pump. [10]
There are five phases of an action potential: threshold, depolarization, peak, repolarization, and hyperpolarization. Threshold is when the summation of MEPPs reaches a certain potential and induces the opening of the voltage-gated ion channels. The rapid influx of sodium ions causes the membrane potential to reach a positive charge.
Once the cell has been depolarized, voltage-gated sodium channels close, causing potassium channels to open; K+ ions then proceed to move against their concentration gradient out of the cell. [ 3 ] However, if the voltage is below the threshold, the neuron does not fire, but the membrane potential still fluctuates due to postsynaptic potentials ...
This is followed by the opening of potassium ion channels that permit the exit of potassium ions from the cell. The inward flow of sodium ions increases the concentration of positively charged cations in the cell and causes depolarization, where the potential of the cell is higher than the cell's resting potential. The sodium channels close at ...
The rapid depolarization of the cell, during phase 0, causes the membrane potential to approach sodium's equilibrium potential (i.e. the membrane potential at which sodium is no longer drawn into or out of the cell). As the membrane potential becomes more positive, the sodium channels then close and lock, this is known as the "inactivated" state.
If the influx of sodium ions fails to reach threshold, then sodium conductance does not increase a sufficient amount to override the resting potassium conductance. In that case, subthreshold membrane potential oscillations are observed in some type of neurons. If successful, the sudden influx of positive charge depolarizes the membrane, and ...
Specialised membrane proteins (voltage-gated sodium channels) in the cell membrane selectively allow sodium ions to enter the cell. This causes the membrane potential to rise at a rate of about 300 V/s. As the membrane voltage rises (to about 40 mV) sodium channels close due to a process called inactivation. Phase 1: Rapid repolarisation.
The ion pump most relevant to the action potential is the sodium–potassium pump, which transports three sodium ions out of the cell and two potassium ions in. [13] [14] As a consequence, the concentration of potassium ions K + inside the neuron is roughly 30-fold larger than the outside concentration, whereas the sodium concentration outside ...