Question

Draw and label the action potential. Indicate steps 1-7 at each point of the Action Potential. Then tell me what happens at each point. Tell me why it is important to know the steps of the Action Potential and how it works, and what it does in the body.

Answer 1

Action potential is an electrochemical change that occurs in the tissue which is excitable for the stimulus which reaches threshold and the diagram which indicates the steps of action potential is listed below.

Action potential diagram:

Step 1:

There will be a stimulation from the motor nerve in which leads to a change in the resting membrane potential.

Step 2:

The influx of soidum ions into the cells by opening the voltage gated channels of sodium causes a threshold potential in the cell.

Step 3:

When the sodium enters into the cell unexpectedly leads the cell to positive and the polartiy of the cell is reversed known as depolarization. In this step the potential difference that occurs across the cell membrane is zero.

Step 4:

It is peak potential where the maximum potential of +35mV where the sodium channel are closed and inactivated while the potassium channels are open in the cell.

Step 5:

The potassium ion continues to efflux from the cell leads to restore the potential known as repolarization.

Step 6:

The continuation of efflux of potassium ion leads the cell to become negative inside and reduces the excitability of the cell known as hyperpolarization.

Step 7:

Then it returns to the state of resting membrane potential where the intracellular fluid is negative charge in excess.

It is important to know about the steps of action potential and how it works and what it does in the body because it is the stimulation that occurs in the nerve cell and produces a movement of the muscle. Without a action potential electrochemical change the movement in the body muscles is difficult. So it's necessary to know about the action potential and how it works in the body.