Could you help me solve questions 1 through 6 using the data provided? Do not do graphs for number one as I have already done them. Thank you in advance.
Model Membrane Questions:
1. Plot voltage vs. position for both intracellular and extracellular recordings.
2. Is the maximum voltage the same for both types of recording? Why or why not? For help answering this and the next two questions, refer to Video 1.1 Current Flow, and note that the voltmeter measures the difference in potential between the positive and negative electrodes. The extracellular recording changed polarity when the battery passed the electrodes. Why? Why did this not happen with the intracellular recording? What happened to the extracellular recording when the battery was between the voltmeter electrodes? Why? Describe the decay of the voltage from its peak in the intracellular recording.
3. Calculate a space constant from the measured voltages (solve for A in Equation 4, Passive Spread, where V1 is the voltage measured when the battery was at the recording site and V2 is the voltage measured when the battery was x nodes away from the recording site). Compare this value with one calculated from the resistances using Equation 3. Space Constant = R1 / (R1 + R2). R1 is 10 k, R2 is 1 k, and R3 is 100 in the model membrane. In the model and in real biological membranes, R3 is so small compared to the other resistances that it can usually be ignored. How would an increase or decrease in R1 or R2 affect the spread of voltage in a neuron (Explain using Equation 3. Space Constant = (R1 / (R1 + R2)). Why is this even depends on the spread of electrical current along an axon) important to consider? (Hint: Think about how action potential conduction velocity of the cell's total resistance which includes membrane, axoplasmic, and extracellular resistance. How could you measure this value in the model membrane? Why is this an important consideration? (Hint: You could calculate R1 by Equation Ohm's Law, E=IR.)
Data:
Space Constant Position Intracellular Extracellular
1 1.842V 10.5 mV
2 2.562V 42.1 mV max: 35.0mV
3 3.550V 205.6 mV
4 9.350V 5.0 mV
5 9.350V -0.90mV
6 0.180 -395 mV
7 4.930V -284.5mV
8 3.560V 10 -205.4mV
9 2.50V 147.8 mV
10 8.1 100.4mV