ActionPotential

This video illustrates the increased speed of action potential in mylinated axons. It was completed as my sabbatical project and is uploaded here with the permission of the instructor who wrote the script and did the voice work.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• neurons
• biology
• action potential
• mylination
• Schwann cells
• fluid mosaic model

[kidmirk92]

@1611malu

nothing will happen since that is referring to the blood stream, not the nerve itself.

[1611MALU]

What happens to the process explained when there is a deficiency of Na/K in the blood???

[aschwa5]

@markensaw The refractory period that the voltage gated ion channels experience (that is, after they let some sodium in, they won't let any more in for a while) make sure that the impulse never goes the "wrong way." If neurons had a relationship status, it would be "it's complicated with."

[markensaw]

This is a great presentation of action potential. How does the impulse know which way to travel?

[edaliesmer]

wow that was great thank you very much!!!

[amartynenka]

amazing video!!!

thanks a lot

[wleey2500]

thanks for the video =)

(by the way, I'm a psychology student ;p)

[iam4u2cl8er]

Beautifuly done! Thanks!

[josenros]

@josenros In fact, this makes me wonder if any neurological diseases are characterized by problems with the voltage gates that shorten or eliminate the refractory period.

[josenros]

@Sn0wFreak I was wondering the same thing! The reason the signal propagates in one direction is because the region that has just undergone repolarization (in the wake of the action potential) is in a relative refractory period and cannot depolarize again unless/until it receives a new impulse. I'd imagine that a malfunctioning neuron that lacked this refractory period (its voltage gates remained active even after the signal passed) would be unable to conduct a signal.