![]() These are respectively termed excitatory and inhibitory inputs, as they promote or inhibit the generation of action potentials (the reason some inputs are excitatory and others inhibitory is that different types of neuron release different neurotransmitters the neurotransmitter used by a neuron determines its effect).Īction potentials are the fundamental units of communication between neurons and occur when the sum total of all of the excitatory and inhibitory inputs makes the neuron’s membrane potential reach around -50 mV (see diagram), a value called the action potential threshold. from -70 mV to -65 mV), and others do the opposite. ![]() Some inputs make the neuron’s membrane potential become more positive (or less negative, e.g. It’s constantly going up and down, depending mostly on the inputs coming from the axons of other neurons. ![]() Normally, the inside of the cell is more negative than the outside neuroscientists say that the inside is around -70 mV with respect to the outside, or that the cell’s resting membrane potential is -70 mV. There are many channels sitting in the cell membrane (the boundary between a cell’s inside and outside) that allow positive or negative ions to flow into and out of the cell. Neurons are essentially electrical devices.
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