PSYC-2606EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Batrachotoxin, Muscarine, Bungarotoxin
1 Nov 2016
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Lecture 5: neurophysiology is the study of the life processes within neurons that use electrical and chemical signals, an action potential is a rapid electrical signal that travels along the axon of a neuron. Selected through natural selection; reliably produce signals every time: a neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger between neurons. Different neurotransmitters will do different things at different junctions. Gap junction is a primitive system that allows transmission through a gap; no changes to signals can happen: a neuron at rest is a balance of electrochemical forces. Anions are negatively charged: proteins in cells, giving up electron. Cations are positively charged: ready to receive electron. Ions are dissolved in intracellular fluid (inside the cell), separated from the extracellular fluid (outside the cell) by the cell membrane: a microelectrode inserted into a resting cell shows that it is more negative than the extracellular fluid.
