Excitable Cells

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  • Created by: Labake
  • Created on: 02-01-17 09:03
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  • Excitable Cells
    • Excitability of muscle cells are caused by ions that control membrane potential
      • Energy used to generate heartbeat is conc. gradient of ions
        • 1%= specialised conducting cells in SA node, AV node, Bundle of His, bundle branches and purkinje fibres
          • 1 second reaction time to prolong the action potential for time for cells to contract
      • Membrane proteins control passage of ions and thus control generation and strength of heartbeat
        • Cells at resting potential are highly NEGATIVE, when depolarised they become less negative
          • Resting cells: High K+ conc, low Ca2+ and Na+ conc.
            • When Ca2+ and Na+ can enter cells then they become depolarised (less negative)
              • Conc. gradient maintained by ATPase ion pumps and Na+/K+ pumps
            • K+ in the form of KCl (Cl- can't leave cell so keeps cell negative)
      • Electrical activity of ions passes quickly to other cells and turns into mechanical action of contraction
        • Cardiac muscle cells; intercalated discs for rapid simultaneous contraction
          • Cells also short, strong and striated with electrical GAP junctions
          • No chemical messengers or signals
    • Automaticity and ANS input
      • Automaticity= heart beats without nervous input (generates own heartbeat)
      • Heart still affected by hormones and ANS (AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM)
      • Slow spontaneous depolarisation in pacemaker cells
        • Caused by Ca2+ channels opening
          • Rapid depolarisation after -50mV threshold (Ca2+ channels)
            • Repolarisation caused by K+ moving back in
              • Muscarinic Acetylcholine receptors activates K+ pump
              • Relaxation of actin -myosin fibres
                • Ca2+ actively transported back into sarcoplasmic reticulum
                  • Ca2+ ATPase enzyme used for this
      • Rapid depolarisation in atrial and ventricular contractile muscle cells
        • AP caused by FAST Na+ channels opening
          • Repolarisation due to decrease in Na+
            • Atrial contraction delay caused plateau region voltage gated Ca2+ channels (sustained depolarisation from Ca2+ induced Ca2+ release)
              • Rapid repolarisation (to -90mV) occurs when Ca2+ channels close
                • And K+ channels open (then hyper-polarisation to -70mV)
    • Route of cardiac action potentials
      • SA nodal cells (-60 milliVolts) produces  cardiac excitation
        • SA nodal cells depolarise (after -40mV threshold) and AP reaches AV node
          • 100 millisecond DELAY occurs then atria contract
            • Action Potential (generated by AV node cells) spreads along left and right bundles of His
              • Action potential spreads to purkinje fibres and ventricles contract
        • AV nodal cells also pacemakers but have lower AP frequency so overridden by SA nodal cells
    • Lipid Bilayer reminder
      • Impermeable to most molecules
      • Allows flow of water and small lipophilic non polar molecules
      • Electrical INSULATOR
      • Has ligand gated ion channels
        • Has G-protein receptors
          • Has voltage gated ion channels
            • Has mechanical gated ion channels
    • ECG (Electro-cardiogram)
      • QRS spikes= ventricular action potential
        • If incorrect then left/right bundle block
      • P wave= atrial contraction
        • If absent then atrial fibrillation
      • Electrodes placed in direction of depolarisation
        • Negative reference electrodes catch positive signals approaching and vice versa
      • T= ventricular repolarisation

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