Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Nervous system signals and their implications, con. ›

Reply to comment

Nelly Khaselev's picture

I dont get the punch line!

Submitted by Nelly Khaselev on Fri, 02/22/2008 - 9:10am.
On Thursday’s class, we answered all our questions about 'the batter'. What is a battery? How does a battery occur? Change? Propagate? And more...and at the end we generally agreed we are happy with 'the battery' theory to explain action potentials and in return behavior. We discovered how an action potential can start and stop on its own, via leaky regions on the membrane (where the membrane is highly permeably to sodium ions regardless of voltage) and a threshold. So if action potentials can start with no stimulus, then how do we still have controlled behavior – at least somewhat controlled? I just don’t get it… Leaky regions produce unpredictable action potential. However, i'd like to say we do have some predictable behavior. I just can't seem to rap my head around this....

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
4 + 8 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio