PSYC 355 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Tetraodontidae, Voltage Clamp, Action Potential

• School: Concordia University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 355
• Professor: All

Document Summary

In the squid giant axon you have the membranes actual value. You apply a positive or negative current. The command voltage displays what to keep it at while the current monitor tells you that you actually did keep it at that. You are applying positive or negative current to offset what the membrane itself is now going to do in response to what you applied to it. Example: let"s say you dial the voltage to 0. So it"s resting at -70mv, the threshold = -45 mv meaning it"s going to go above +25 mv. To keep it at +25 mv, you would have to offset it by applying a negative charge. When it starts to repolarize (less positive current) you would have to apply a positive to charge to counteract the na+ going out. You"re going to make it go up to 0, and then hold it there.