Question

The lipid bilayer membrane of a neuron is impermeable to charged molecules or ions. To enter or exit the neuron, ions must pass through special proteins called ion channels that span the membrane. Ion channels have different configurations: open, closed, and inactive. Some ion channels need to be activated in order to open and allow ions to pass into or out of the cell. Which ion channels are used in the production of electrical signals (Action Potential) in neurons

Answer 1

The correct answer is: in neurons, the most used ion channels in the production of action potentials are the channels that allow fo passage of sodium and potassium.

Step-by-step explanation:

Neurons must be able to transmit and receive signals in order for the nervous system to operate. Because each neuron has a charged cellular membrane (a voltage differential between the interior and the exterior), the charge of this membrane can vary in response to neurotransmitter molecules generated by other neurons as well as external stimuli. The membrane potential is the difference in total charge between the interior and outside of the cell. This membrane potential exists thanks to the state of ion channels that may or may not allow the passage of certain ions.

A substance called a neurotransmitter allows a neuron to accept input from other neurons. The neuron will transmit the signal to downstream neurons if the input is powerful enough. The opening and shutting of voltage-gated ion channels, which produce a transient reversal of the resting membrane potential to form an action potential, are used to transmit a signal within a neuron (in one direction only, from dendrite to axon terminal). The polarity of an action potential changes across the membrane as it travels down the axon. The signal then activates other neurons once it reaches the axon terminal.

The target neuron is depolarized to its threshold potential (-55 mV) by a stimulation from a sensory cell or another neuron, and Na+ channels in the axon hillock open, initiating an action potential. The neuron totally depolarizes to a membrane potential of around +40 mV after the sodium channels open. As Na+ channels open, the action potential moves along the neuron.

The cell's membrane voltage is "reset" to the resting potential after depolarization is complete. The Na+ channels shut, signaling the start of the refractory phase in the neuron. Voltage-gated K+ channels open at the same moment, allowing K+ to escape the cell. The membrane potential returns to a negative state as K+ ions exit the cell. The cell becomes hyperpolarized when K+ diffuses out of it, resulting in a membrane potential that is lower than the cell's usual resting potential. The sodium channels revert to their resting state at this moment, ready to open again if the membrane potential rises over the threshold potential again.