The Poison Lab

Mini Episode: The Saga of the Cardiac Action Potential

Episode Summary

Ryan goes through the steps of the cardiac action potential using a fun story about a castle under siege, and a war to save a people!

Episode Notes

• Action potential
  • Sodium/Potassium ATPase pumps create more positively charged ions outside the cell than inside the cell, this creates a relative negative charge in the cell
  • Phase 4- Resting (~ -90 mv)
  • Phase 0- Sodium enters the cell (+10 mv) 
  • Phase 1- Potassium efflux from cell as now there is no negative charge holding it in (0 mv)
  •  Phase 2- Calcium channels open and allow calcium in, calcium triggers the ryandoine receptor and allows for calcium dependent calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum occurs
  • Phase 3- Potassium continues to leave the cell  allowing return to -90 mv