action and rest potiential

step 1

is depolarization when a neuron is in its action phase. sodium gates open up, positive sodium rushes in, and creates a positive charge (+30) 

 

step 2

is repolarization  

sodium gates close, and potassium gates open and positive potassium ions leave, which neutralizes the charge.  

step 3

the cell will briefly become hyper polarized where it dips lower than -70mV, then the pump resets everything back into resting  

overview

the quick overview is that the ‘resting potential’ is when the neuron is stable with a negative charge (-70ish), this is the natural electrical charge a neuron has!  

 

there is a pump for this that keeps the charge stable if the neuron, the pump is a protein called sodium-potassium pump, it pushes 3 sodium ions out and pulls 2 potassium ions into it to maintain the charge.  

 

for resting potential, it is essentially sleeping, and in order to keep sleeping there is a pump (imagine it is the air compressor for a tire with a hole, it is constantly keeping the tire full, the pump keeps the ion happy (stable), by moving ions around.  

for action there is an electrical signal that runs down the axon of the neuron, the axon is the communicator, like a phone passing messages.  

 

if other neurons influence the charge of the one we are focused on, it can reach -55 which is the threshold, and it lights up, or acts!