Question

9. What would an action potential look like if an animal had a mutation in a voltage-gated potassium channel that caused it to open at -10mV instead of +40mV? Use diagrams to illustrate your answers (4 points).

Answer 1

Opening of an ion channel at 40mV will allow entry of negative ions and the potential decreases until the gate closes. This process is called repolarization. Further shift to negativity is called hyper polarization. When the potential moves towards positive charge, it is called depolarization. At 40mV, the potassium ion channel opens allowing the positive potassium oons to rush out the cell and decreases the potential towards negativity. The Na channel opens at negative 55 mV. The mutation causes the channel to open at negative 10mV, will allow the positive Na ions to enter the cell and shifts the potential towards positivity.the opening of channel at -10mV will make it difficult to reach the peak potential.

beak potential potential (mV) - у - Depolarization Repolari nation threshold potential • Ruting Potential di ton > normal action potenti - mutant action potential