A colleague of yours is a biomedical engineer who likes to tinker with the genet

Question

A colleague of yours is a biomedical engineer who likes to tinker with the genetic code responsible for coding neural proteins.  One day, he brings you a group of cultured neurons in which he has lengthened the hydrophopic tails of the phospholipids constituting the cell membrane (effectively making the membrane thicker) and asks you make electrophysiological recordings of actions potentials in these neurons.  Discuss the effects you expect this manipulation would have on the action potentials.  Describe how this will affect magnitude, velocity, or maximum firing rate in these neurons relative to wild type control cells. No diagrams, just a worded out answer

Explanation / Answer

the electric potential or voltage gradient across most of the animal cells do not change chronologically except the cells like neurons and muscle cells (actin & myosin), change specifically as change in the voltage gradient is the way they work e.g. conduction of neural signal or signal for the contraction of a muscle fibre. the key for this conduction of signals or electric potential is its change chronologically (with time) hence favouring the movement of charged ions across membrenes now the key for conduction through neuron is that they possess a special characteristic feature for smooth and faster conduction of signals. this characteristic feature is the presence of insulating myelin sheaths on the outer surface of the neurons however the inslation is not like the insulation on electric wires but there are gaps in between these gaps ensure the release of charges ions for conduction and the myelin sheath which is majorly made up of phospholipids (~75%) ensures that the charged ions are released only through the gaps. Since the major function of the phospholipid in the form of myelin sheath is to increase the velocity and action potentials therefore the cultured neurons with thicker cell membrane ( higher phospholipids) would ensure increase in the action potential, velocity, and magnitude of the electrical impulse.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.