Final answer:
GABA utilizes hyperpolarization as the type of membrane potential. This results from the opening of channels allowing Cl- ions to enter the neuron or K+ ions to leave, which makes the neuron less likely to fire an action potential. The correct option is a. Hyperpolarization
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of membrane potential utilized by GABA is hyperpolarization. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that causes hyperpolarizing graded potentials.
When GABA binds to its receptors on the neuron, it generally results in the opening of channels that allow Cl- ions into a neuron or K+ ions out, leading to the interior of the cell becoming more negative.
This increase in negativity moves the membrane potential further away from the threshold required to initiate an action potential, making the neuron less likely to fire, thus exhibiting an inhibitory effect.
Graded potentials can be hyperpolarizing or depolarizing. A depolarizing graded potential is typically caused by the influx of Na+ or Ca2+ into the cell, making the inside of the cell less negative.
On the other hand, hyperpolarizing potentials occur when positive K+ ions exit the neuron, or negative Cl- ions enter, making the inside of the cell more negative.
To answer the student's question directly, GABA typically causes hyperpolarization, which is an increase in the membrane's potential, making the inside of the neuron more negative compared to the outside. The correct option is a. Hyperpolarization