Graded or Passive Potentials

Graded/Passive Potentials – Length Constant, Time Constant

• The length constant is the distance over which a spreading electrotonic

potential declines to 37% of its initial value.
• With too short a length constant, EPSPs would decline to negligible
values before they spread to the trigger zone; synapses located on the
dendrites would be ineffective.
• The time constant specifies the time it takes an electrotonic potential to rise
to 63% (or fall to 37%) of its original value.
• Too short a time constant lessens the chances for summation because
the individual PSPs are very brief.
 Spatial and Temporal
Summation
What happens with IPSP’s? See 12-1

Chapter 12 of your Text

Trigger Zone: Cell Integration and Initiation of AP
Trigger Zone: Cell Integration
and Initiation of AP
 Trigger Zone – Axon of Hillock

1. Site of initiation of active potentials (Action Potentials)

2. Thought to have higher Na+ channel density, however
some reports are against this idea
3. Require threshold which is higher Na+ current compared to
K+ current at the membrane.
4. Creates electrical cascade of all-or-nothing, where Action
Potential will note degrade until it reaches the terminal
5. Orthodromic conduction
6. Antidromic conduction impossible due to inactivation of Na+
channels leading to absolute refractory period.
The Action Potential

ENa+

Threshold
Vm
EK+
Course of the Action Potential
• The action potential begins with a partial depolarization (e.g.
from firing of another neuron ) [A].
• When the excitation threshold is reached there is a sudden
large depolarization [B].
• This is followed rapidly by repolarization [C] and a brief
hyperpolarization [D].
• There is a refractory period immediately after the action
potential where no depolarization can occur [E]

+40

Membrane [C]
potential 0 [B]
[E]
(mV)

[A]
[D] excitation threshold
-70
0 1 2 3 Time (msec)
Isolating Sodium and Potassium Channel Currents

9-3 In your Text

The Na Action Potential- Ion Channel
Contributions

Rising Phase Overshoot

Inactivation

Undershoot

9-10 from your Text

 Direction of Propagation
• Orthodromic vs. Antidromic
– Describe the direction of propagation of an electrical
potential.
• Orthodromic
– Propagation of signal is travelling in physiologically
“intended” direction.
• Motor Neuron vs Sensory Neuron
• Antidromic
– Propagation of signal is travelling in the opposite
physiologically “intended” direction.
 Threshold of Na Action Potential
• The initiation of an action potential
requires a threshold to be met.
• There is no specific “value” for all
thresholds. This is determined by a
number of factors:
– (1)Membrane input resistance, (2)membrane
capacitance, (3)Nernst values, and (4)ion
channel types and (5)population in
membrane.
9-11 B in your Text
Strength-Duration Curve - Chronaxie and Rheobase

• There is a strong relationship between the

strength (voltage) and duration (time) of a
stimulus to charge a membrane.
• Because of this, there are minimum and
maximum values for the use of them in
unison represented by this curve.
• Anything to the right and above the curve
shows that threshold was reached.
Refractory Period

9-8 From your Text

 Refractory Period

1) For action potentials this is a Na+ channel phenomenon.

2) There are two types of refractory periods:
a) Relative Refractory Period
Some Na+ channels are inactive
b) Absolute Refractory Period
ALL Na+ channels are inactive
3) Propagation direction and termination relies on Refractory Period