CBNS 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Electrochemical Gradient, Resting Potential, Lipid Bilayer

• School: UC Riverside
• Department: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
• Course: CBNS 106
• Professor: Jun Cho

Document Summary

There are 3 main components when discussing the resting membrane potential: intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid. Intracellular, or cytosol, refers to inside the cell. Water is the major component of cellular fluids. Its polar nature allows for dissolution of ions: phospholipid membrane. Its main purpose is to separate aqueous environments across the membrane: proteins. Proteins have a wide array of function in neurons. They can be receptors, ion channels, ion pumps, and ion transporters to name a few. Transmembrane proteins are integrated into the phospholipid membrane and there are 3 main types: Ion channels: allow for passage of ions down electrochemical/concentration gradient. They have ion selectivity which means they may only allow certain ions to pass. They can be opened by changes in voltage (voltage gated) or by binding (ligand gated) like neurotransmitters. Ion pumps: transport ions against gradients at the expense of atp. Ion transporters: use electrochemical gradients to move ions across the membrane; no atp needed.