IUBio

Action Potential

G K GRAY gord at homostudy.win-uk.net
Tue Dec 10 20:38:02 EST 1996


 
In article <NEWTNews.850283429.30508.lae2 at behsci14.hmc.psu.edu>, "Loren A. Evey" (lae2 at psu.edu) writes:
>
> 
>> > How does an impulse travel down an axon in action potential
>> 
>Major snip
>> At the end of the journey, at the synaptic terminal, the voltage 
>sensative
>> sodium channels are joined by voltage sensative calcium channels, and 
>it
>> is the influx of calcium that is responsible for causing the
>> neurotransmitters, packages in little membrane vesicles, to be released
>> onto the next cell.  That next cell may be another neuron, and the 
>whole
>> thing could start again at the next cell, and so on ...
>> 
>> Hope that helped.
>> 
>> Matt
>
>Excellent, would you extend your explanation to include saltatory 
>conduction?  Thanks.
>
And having done that could you please explain how the pulse
transmission velocity is *increased* by the myelin wrapping that
normally appears on certain axons? What physical principles are
involved and how are they involved in this process?

With best wishes - Gord 




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