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**Title: Understanding Action Potentials and Ion Channel Activity**

**Description and Instructions**

The task is to describe each stage of an action potential by specifying which ion channels are active during each phase. This will help in understanding the mechanisms underlying neural communication.

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**Text Prompt**

**Describe each stage of an action potential in terms of what ion channels are active.**

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**Explanation**

An action potential is a rapid and temporary change in the electrical potential across the membrane of a neuron, allowing it to transmit signals. Here are the various stages of an action potential and the corresponding ion channel activity at each stage:

1. **Resting State**
   - **Ion Channels Active**: 
     - **Potassium Leak Channels:** These are open, allowing K+ ions to move out of the neuron.
     - **Sodium-Potassium Pump:** This active transport mechanism pumps 3 Na+ ions out and 2 K+ ions into the neuron, maintaining the resting potential at approximately -70 mV.

2. **Depolarization**
   - **Ion Channels Active**: 
     - **Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels:** These channels open in response to a threshold stimulus, allowing Na+ ions to rush into the neuron, causing the membrane potential to become more positive.

3. **Peak of Action Potential**
   - **Ion Channels Active**: 
     - **Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels:** Continue to be open until the membrane potential reaches approximately +30 mV to +40 mV.
     - **At Highest Peak:** Sodium channels begin to close as the peak is reached.

4. **Repolarization**
   - **Ion Channels Active**: 
     - **Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels:** These channels open after the peak of the action potential, allowing K+ ions to flow out of the neuron, restoring the negative membrane potential.

5. **Hyperpolarization (Undershoot)**
   - **Ion Channels Active**:
     - **Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels:** They remain open longer than necessary, making the membrane potential more negative than the resting state.
     - **Potassium Leak Channels**: Also contribute to the hyperpolarization.
     - **Sodium-Potassium Pump**: Continues to function, helping to restore the resting membrane potential.

6. **Return to Resting State**
   - **Ion Channels Active**:
     - **Potassium Leak Channels**: Remain open.
     - **Sodium-P
Transcribed Image Text:**Title: Understanding Action Potentials and Ion Channel Activity** **Description and Instructions** The task is to describe each stage of an action potential by specifying which ion channels are active during each phase. This will help in understanding the mechanisms underlying neural communication. --- **Text Prompt** **Describe each stage of an action potential in terms of what ion channels are active.** --- **Explanation** An action potential is a rapid and temporary change in the electrical potential across the membrane of a neuron, allowing it to transmit signals. Here are the various stages of an action potential and the corresponding ion channel activity at each stage: 1. **Resting State** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Potassium Leak Channels:** These are open, allowing K+ ions to move out of the neuron. - **Sodium-Potassium Pump:** This active transport mechanism pumps 3 Na+ ions out and 2 K+ ions into the neuron, maintaining the resting potential at approximately -70 mV. 2. **Depolarization** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels:** These channels open in response to a threshold stimulus, allowing Na+ ions to rush into the neuron, causing the membrane potential to become more positive. 3. **Peak of Action Potential** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels:** Continue to be open until the membrane potential reaches approximately +30 mV to +40 mV. - **At Highest Peak:** Sodium channels begin to close as the peak is reached. 4. **Repolarization** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels:** These channels open after the peak of the action potential, allowing K+ ions to flow out of the neuron, restoring the negative membrane potential. 5. **Hyperpolarization (Undershoot)** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels:** They remain open longer than necessary, making the membrane potential more negative than the resting state. - **Potassium Leak Channels**: Also contribute to the hyperpolarization. - **Sodium-Potassium Pump**: Continues to function, helping to restore the resting membrane potential. 6. **Return to Resting State** - **Ion Channels Active**: - **Potassium Leak Channels**: Remain open. - **Sodium-P
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