Mastering Action Potentials

Electrical Properties of Cell Membrane III (Action Potential)

• Action potential is the electrical changes that occur in the resting membrane potential when stimulated by an effective stimulus.
• These electrical changes propagate along nerve fibers to the effector organ, producing a response or action.
• The electrical changes of the action potential include depolarization, repolarization, and redistribution of ions.
• Depolarization refers to the decrease in negativity of the membrane potential.
• The mechanism of depolarization involves an increase in the permeability of the cell membrane to Na+ ions.
• Repolarization is the process of restoring the membrane potential to its resting state after depolarization.
• Redistribution of ions occurs during the action potential and involves changes in the concentration of ions inside and outside the cell.
• The basis for the conduction of action potential is the propagation of electrical changes along nerve fibers.
• The textbook reference for this topic is Guyton & Hall's Textbook of Medical Physiology, 12th edition, pages 58-60.
• The lecture objectives include defining action potential, listing the changes occurring during it, discussing the ionic basis of action potential, illustrating monophasic action potential, and briefly discussing the basis for the conduction of action potential.
• Dr. Khaled Khalil is the lecturer for this topic.
• The lecture is part of a series on the electrical properties of the cell membrane.