Question

Elaine, a graduate student in a neuroscience department, is interested in understanding the effects of popular herbal remedies on neuronal communication. after growing neurons in a petri dish, she exposes the neurons to several common herbal supplements. after performing a series of electrophysiology experiments, she notes that one class of herbal supplements caused the neurons to become depolarized. what does this mean?

Answer 1

A neuron becomes depolarized most often due to the influx of K+ ions flowing into the cell as a result of action potential. Therefore, the effect of herbal supplements is that of a neural activation.