When talking about electrical signals in neurons we are referring to action potentials that transmit information from one neuron to another.
Neurons are said to be electrically excitable since upon sensing factors from the surrounding environment, excitability helps in providing impulses. There are 2 types of electrical signals in neurons:
GRADED POTENTIALS – these electrical signals, which happen when a stimulus causes ligand-gated or mechanically-gated channels to open or close in an excitable cell’s plasma membrane, are active only over short distances within the body. Such a graded potential is featured as a small deviation from the membrane potential, making it either more polarised (hyperpolarising graded potential) or less polarised (depolarising graded potential).
ACTION POTENTIALS – these electrical signals are active for both short and long distances within the body. During action potentials, 2 types of voltage-gated channels open and close: Na+ channels open and let Na+ rush in the cell, causing depolarisation, while K+ channels open, causing K+ to flow out, causing repolarisation.
Both graded potentials and action potentials are produced thanks to the plasma membrane’s 2 main features:
- Ion Channels
- Resting Membrane Potential
Impulse Generation
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