Name: Grp 6 4B6

Exercise 3: Neurophysiology of Nerve Impulses: Activity 3: The Action Potential: Threshold Lab Report

Pre-lab Quiz Results

You scored 100% by answering 4 out of 4 questions correctly.

1. Axons are
You correctly answered: d. long, thin structures that extend from a neuronal cell body.

2. Which of the following is easier?

You correctly answered: a. extracellular recordings of the action potential

3. An action potential is usually initiated in an axon at or near

You correctly answered: d. all of the above

4. The initiation of an action potential in a sensory neuron in the body normally

You correctly answered: a. follows a sufficiently large depolarizing receptor potential.

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question: How will the action potential at R1 (or R2) change as you continue to increase the stimulus voltage?
Your answer : c. The action potential will not change.

Stop & Think Questions:

Why is the action potential recorded by the second recording electrode (R2) delayed relative to the action potential recorded
by the first recording electrode (R1)?
You correctly answered: c. The action potential had to propagate from R1 to R2.

An increase in extracellular K+ would depolarize a neuron. This depolarization would occur if neurons were damaged. From
what you have just learned about generating an action potential, what effect would this have on nearby axons? The nearby
axonal membranes will ___________.
You correctly answered: b. be depolarized to values near or above threshold voltages.

Experiment Data:

Stimulus Voltage (mV) Peak Value at R1 (µV) Peak Value at R2 (µV) Action Potential
10 0 0 No
20 100 100 Yes
30 100 100 Yes
40 100 100 Yes
50 100 100 Yes

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Post-lab Quiz Results
You scored 100% by answering 3 out of 3 questions correctly.

1. The threshold voltage in an axon is usually

You correctly answered: a. less negative than the resting membrane potential.

2. If a graded receptor potential made the resting membrane potential of the axon more negative (for example, -70 mV
changes to -75 mV), you would expect
You correctly answered: d. it to be more difficult for this axon to reach the threshold voltage.

3. Failure to reach the threshold voltage in the axon of a sensory neuron could be caused by
You correctly answered: d. all of the above.

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Review Sheet Results
1. Define the term threshold as it applies to an action potential.
Your answer:
The threshold potential is the minimum voltage required for the cell to generate an action potential.

2. What change in membrane potential (depolarization or hyperpolarization) triggers an action potential?

Your answer:
Depolarization is the change in the membrane potential that triggers an action potential in which the cell's charge becomes
less negative.

3. How did the action potential at R1 (or R2) change as you increased the stimulus voltage above the threshold voltage?
How well did the results compare with your prediction?
Your answer:
The results in the experiment showed that there is no change in the action potential.

4. An action potential is an "all-or-nothing" event. Explain what is meant by this phrase

Your answer:
An action potential is an "all-or nothing" event since the action potential will not occur if does not reach the threshold. Action
potential only occurs if it reaches the threshold. It is not a graded response.

5. What part of a neuron was investigated in this activity?

Your answer:
The part of the neuron investigated in the activity was the axon.

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