Quizlet Action Potentials - 3

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  1. Action Potential: the activation signal evoked in a neuron when the Vm crosses a certain threshold.
  2. Adaptation: an observed slowing of action potential frequency in a neuron (slow to open K channels).
  3. Axial Conductance: is less in long dendrites and is greater in large-diamter dendrites.
  4. Axon: contains axon hillock (signal initiation), myelin sheath (insulation), and nodes of Ranvier (signal relay sites).
  5. Cancellation: the loss of signal amplitude in an emg recording.
  6. Cell Body (Soma): contains nucleus (genes) and endoplasmic reticulum (protein synthesis)
  7. Dendrites: receptive area of a neuron.
  8. Electromyography (EMG): an extracellualr technique used to record muscle fiber action potentials.
  9. Electrotonic Conduction: the passive spread of voltage changes along a neuron, dependent on length constant.
  10. Extracellular Recording: a recording that measures the local current flows outside of a cell.
  11. Input Conductance: a measure of the electrical conductance of a neuron to input current.
  12. Interference EMG: the signal that represents the sum of the positive and negative muscle fiber action potential phases.
  13. Intracellular Recording: a recording of neuronal electrical activity that involves measuring the transmemrane changes in voltage.
  14. Length Constant: indicates the distance that the change in membrane potential has decayed to 37% (1/e) of its initial value.
  15. Membrane Capacitance: influences the time course of the change in Vm.
  16. Motor Neuron: send action potentials to muscle and activate the contractile proteins to produce a muscle contraction.
  17. Pre-synaptic Terminals: output area, location of synapse and site of neurotransmitter release.
  18. Reversal Potential: when the net force acting on an ion changes direction (obtained through a series of voltage clamps).
  19. Voltage Clamp Technique: a technique that regulates membrane potential and makes it possible to determine the effect of Vm on the current due to different ions.