Electrolytes like sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) play a key role in the transfer of nerve impulses. Nerve impulses are created by stimuli in the environment such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. If the stimulus is strong enough, reaching a threshold of -55 mV, an action potential is triggered. In other words, the neuron is said to “fire”. Read on to learn how action potential works.
The action potential begins with neurotransmitters binding to receptors on the neuron, causing ligand-gated sodium channels to open and allow Na+ to flow in. This causes a change in the resting potential of the cell from its usual -70 mV to the threshold voltage of -55mV.
Once this threshold is reached, voltage-gated sodium channels are opened in the membrane causing more Na+ to flow in, further raising the voltage to 35 mV. This raise in voltage from -70 to 35 mV is called depolarization.
Shortly after, the voltage-gated Na+ channel closes, and voltage-gated K+ channels open to pump K+ across the membrane, repolarizing it in an attempt to restore resting potential. This process is somewhat over-corrected in that too much K+ is pumped out leading to hyperpolarization as the cell’s voltage drops to -80 mV. However, resting potential is soon normalized back to -70 mV as leaky K+ channels allow K+ to flow back in freely.
The depolarizing/repolarizing event is known as an action potential and encodes the message to be passed along the neuron.
The message is able to move along the length of the neuron because every time there is an inflow of Na+ in one part of the neuron it causes a drop in voltage in the neighboring section ahead, and hence another action potential. Therefore the message will be transferred via a series of many action potentials.
Watch this video animation summarizing how action potential works.
Reference: Thompson,& J., Manore, M., Vaughan, L. (2020). The science of nutrition (5th ed.). New York. Pearson
