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Voltage-gated Na channels open at the beginning of an action potential when the membrane potential reaches a certain threshold level.

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When do voltage gated sodium channels open during an action potential?

Voltage-gated sodium channels open during the depolarization phase of an action potential, when the membrane potential becomes more positive.


What is happening to voltage-gated channels at this point in the action potential?

During the action potential, voltage-gated channels are opening and closing to allow the flow of ions across the cell membrane, which helps transmit the electrical signal along the neuron.


What type of ion channels does an actions potential in the axon terminal of a motor neuron open?

Voltage-gated calcium channels are the ion channels that open during an action potential in the axon terminal of a motor neuron. These channels allow calcium ions to flow into the terminal, triggering the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.


When can a second nerve impulse cannot be generated?

The generation of a second action in some neurons can only happen after a refractory period, when the membrane potential has returned it's base level or even more negative. This is because some types of Na+ channels inactivate at a positive potential and then require a negative potential to reset. Other neurons have other types of channels and can fire multiple action potentials to a single depolarization.


B What are the major events of an action potential and what ion changes are associated with each event?

During an action potential, the major events include depolarization (sodium channels open, sodium ions enter the cell), repolarization (potassium channels open, potassium ions leave the cell), and hyperpolarization (potassium channels close slowly leading to an overshoot of the resting membrane potential). Sodium influx causes depolarization, while potassium efflux causes repolarization and hyperpolarization.

Related Questions

When do voltage gated sodium channels open during an action potential?

Voltage-gated sodium channels open during the depolarization phase of an action potential, when the membrane potential becomes more positive.


What is happening to voltage-gated channels at this point in the action potential?

During the action potential, voltage-gated channels are opening and closing to allow the flow of ions across the cell membrane, which helps transmit the electrical signal along the neuron.


What is the primary feature of a neuron that prevents the action potential from traveling back from where it just passed?

Antidromic conduction, or the process of an action potential traveling backwards, is possible. However, regardless of the direction of the action potential, it is propagated by voltage-gated ion channels. Whenever these channels open, there is a sudden exchange of ions, after which the channels snap shut. During this period, known as the refractory period, the channels will not reopen, and thus an action potential will not be able to reverse direction.


Why do not action potentials occur during the repolarization phase?

It has to do with what types of channels are open during this phase. In the repolarization phase the number of potassium channels are increased and the number of sodium channels are decreased. This allows for action potentials to not occur. Otherwise, the action potentials would add up and produce tetany.


During an action potential repolarization occurs as a result of?

During an action potential, repolarization occurs as a result of the opening of voltage-gated potassium channels. These channels allow potassium ions to flow out of the cell, leading to a decrease in membrane potential back towards the resting state. Repolarization is essential for resetting the neuron and allowing it to fire another action potential.


What effect of the action potential if sodium channels are kept closed?

The action potential will not generate if the sodium channels are kept closed.This is because the sodium channels are responsible for the dramatic rising phase of membrane depolarization that occurs when the threshold of activation is reached. As a membrane potential gradually depolarizes (which can occur for a variety of reasons such as neurotransmitter stimulation, mechanical deformation of the membrane, etc), that membrane potential gradually comes closer to that threshold of activation. Once that threshold is reached, the voltage gated sodium channels open and allow for a dramatic influx of sodium ions into the cell. This results in a rapid depolarization which is seen as the rising phase of that upward spike noted in an action potential. Without the ability to open these sodium channels we may reach the threshold of activation, but the actual action potential will not occur.


What is the primary action during depolarization of an action potential?

Sodium ions flow into the neuron via voltage-gated sodium ion channels, driving the membrane potential into the positive. Beyond the threshold, more sodium ion channels are opened, causing the influx of sodium further downstream, and the process repeats, propagating the action potential down the axon.


What happen during the rising phase of an action potential?

During the rising phase of an action potential, voltage-gated sodium channels open in response to a depolarizing stimulus. This allows sodium ions to rush into the cell, causing a rapid depolarization of the cell membrane. This results in the cell reaching its threshold and firing an action potential.


Is the Nernst potential of Sodium achieved during the action potential?

the Nernst potential of Sodium is +60mV. most action potentials do not reach +60mV at peak depoloarization. http://openwetware.org/images/thumb/a/a6/Action-potential.jpg/300px-Action-potential.jpg.png


During the action potential?

During the action potential, there is a depolarization phase where the cell membrane potential becomes less negative, followed by repolarization where it returns to its resting state. This involves the influx of sodium ions and efflux of potassium ions through voltage-gated channels. The action potential is a brief electrical signal that travels along the membrane of a neuron or muscle cell.


During the absolute refractory period an impulse may be triggered by a stimulus of high intensity?

During the absolute refractory period, the neuron is incapable of generating another action potential regardless of the stimulus intensity, as the voltage-gated sodium channels are inactivated. Once these channels have reset during the relative refractory period, a strong enough stimulus can trigger an action potential again.


Period of reploarization of the neuron during which it cannot respond to a second stimulus?

The absolute refractory period. This period occurs after the action potential has been initiated and is a result of inactivation of the sodium channels. These sodium channels would normally open up to allow sodium influx into the cell during an action potential. The absolute refractory period occurs during an ongoing action potential and is the period in which a subsequent action potential absolutely cannot be generated.This should not be confused with the relative refractory period which occurs immediately following the absolute refractory period (during membrane hyperpolarization). During this period a subsequent action potential is possible, but more difficult to attain.