Question

___34. The nerve cell produces nerve impulses because it is specialized to use properties exhibited by all cells including: a) Separation of the fluid environments inside and outside the cell. b) Active transport of Na+ out of and K+ into the cell. C) portal proteins that allow diffusion of Na+ and K+ back into the cell, d) Maintaining unequal Na+ and K+ concentrations on the two sides of the membrane, e) All of these are true.

Answer 1

All of these are true.

Action potential in nerve cells propagate in a similar way howbit propagtes in other cells. For an impulse to travel along cells, the cell should be polarised, this is maintained by the potential difference created between the unequal distribution of charges in the inside and outside of the cell. Inside potassium is more in quantity where outside sodium is more , there is a potential difference of around -60mv in nerve cells.when an impulse hits the cell, the sodium channels open so that the sodium will come inside and cause depolarisation which will convert the potential to around 40mV. Repolarisation happens when sodium channels close and potassium channels open. This leads to the cellular potential to go back to -60mv. An impulse travels along the cell through the action potential generated which includes depolarisation and repolarisation phase, achieved by the opening and closing of protein channels across the membrane of sodium and potassium ions.