PSYC 280 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Nernst Equation, Fluid Compartments, Reference Electrode

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 280
• Professor: Evan Caldbick

Document Summary

Neurophysiology: the study of electrical and chemical processes in neurons. Electrical signals are the vocabulary of the nervous system. All living cells possess an electrical charge. More negative on the inside than on the outside. A balance of electrochemical forces produces the resting membrane potential of neurons. Ions: an atom or molecule that has acquired an electrical charge by gaining or losing one or more electrons. Anions: a negatively charged ion (ex. protein/chloride ion) Cations: a positively charged ion (ex. a potassium/sodium ion) Intracellular fluid: (cytoplasm) the watery solution found within cells. Extracellular fluid: the fluid in the spaces between cells (interstitial fluid) and in the vascular system. Cell membrane: the lipid bilayer that ensheathes a shell. More negatively charged ions inside neurons relative to the outside. Micro electrode: an especially small electrode used to record electrical potentials from living cells > fig 3. 1.