NSCS 308 Action Potentials Problem Set Name______________________________________________ To start, use the tutorial to guide you to look at the plots generated - the standard action potential voltage changes and the separate graphs of the Na and K currents. For your answers, also draw from what you have learned in the NSCS 307 lectures this week. 1A. i) Explain why the Na current has a "kink" in its curve fairly early in the action potential. ii) Why don't you see this kink in the graphs from voltage clamp experiments? 1B Explain why the current through voltage-gated K channels' can stay on longer than the Na current when doing voltage-clamp experiments (refer to 307 lecture as well). 2A Predict what will happen if you increase the capacitance of the membrane. 2B. Would you expect that there is a value of the capacitance where you longer get an action potential? Why? 2C. Can you overcome the effect in 2B effect by changing other parameters? How? 3. Describe how you would determine the absolute refractory period for this neuron