AP Psychology: Action Potential Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What term describes the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse?

Action Potential

Resting Potential

Threshold (correct)

Refractory Period

What is resting potential?

The state of a neuron when ions are polarized, before an action potential occurs.

What occurs during the refractory period?

The axon is repolarizing.

What is an axon?

The extension of a neuron that transmits messages to other neurons or muscle glands. Signup and view all the answers

How do neurons generate electricity?

By chemical events. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the NA-K pump?

To create a domino effect of depolarization down the axon. Signup and view all the answers

What does polarization in neurons refer to?

The state of charges when ions are polarized. Signup and view all the answers

What happens during depolarization?

Positive sodium ions flood through the membrane after the threshold is met. Signup and view all the answers

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemical messages that transmit signals between neurons. Signup and view all the answers

What are ions?

Electrically charged atoms or molecules. Signup and view all the answers

What is repolarization?

The process where the axon returns to its resting potential after firing. Signup and view all the answers

What are dendrites?

The branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of vesicles?

To contain neurotransmitters and release them when action potential reaches the axon terminal. Signup and view all the answers

What is a synapse?

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the cell body. Signup and view all the answers

What role do dendrite receptors play?

They receive messages from neurotransmitters. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the bind to the neuron?

Allows for the membrane to become selectively permeable. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the reuptake portal?

To reabsorb the excess neurotransmitters. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

To coat the axon and speed up the neural impulse. Signup and view all the answers

An action potential fires completely or not at all.

True Signup and view all the answers

What is action potential?

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon generated by the movement of ions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Action Potential Concepts

Threshold: Minimum level of stimulation required to initiate an action potential; the starting point for neural impulses.
Resting Potential: State of axons when ions are polarized, indicating it is at rest before activation.
Refractory Period: Recovery phase during which the axon repolarizes after firing, preventing immediate re-excitation.

Neuron Structure and Function

Axon: Long extension of a neuron that branches into terminal fibers to transmit messages to other neurons or muscle glands.
Dendrites: Tree-like structures that receive signals and transmit impulses toward the neuron's cell body.
Myelin Sheath: Insulating layer around the axon that enhances the speed of neural impulse transmission.

Electrical and Chemical Processes

Electrical: Action potentials are generated through chemical events, enabling neurons to communicate via electrical impulses.
Ions: Atoms or molecules with electric charge, crucial for generating action potentials through ion movement.
Sodium-Potassium Pump: Mechanism that helps to maintain ion balances and facilitates depolarization along the axon.

Action Potential Dynamics

Polarization: The condition of a neuron when it is at resting potential, with ions balanced across the membrane.
Depolarization: Initial phase where sodium ions flood into the axon, leading to a positive shift in charge and triggering the action potential.
Repolarization: Phase following depolarization where the axon returns to resting state by closing sodium gates and allowing potassium to exit.

Neurotransmission

Neurotransmitter: Chemicals that transmit signals across the synaptic gap between neurons; crucial for sending messages throughout the nervous system.
Synapse: Tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite receptors of another, where neurotransmitters are exchanged.
Vesicles: Small sacs in the axon terminal containing neurotransmitters that release their contents during action potential.
Reuptake Portal: Mechanism for the reabsorption of excess neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft, regulating their availability.

Key Characteristics

All-or-None Principle: Neural response mechanism where an action potential either fully occurs or does not happen at all.
Binding: Process by which neurotransmitters attach to receptor sites on the dendrites, affecting the permeability of the neuron's membrane.
Chemical Nature of Impulses: Neural impulses are initially electrical, but revert to a chemical form within the axon after action potential transmission.

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Description

Test your understanding of action potential concepts with these flashcards. Each card covers essential terms like threshold, resting potential, and refractory period, crucial for grasping neural impulses. Perfect for AP Psychology students looking to enhance their knowledge!