electrical conduction

[chiddler]

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can't remember the word...

saltatory conduction is action potential jumping from node of ranvier to node of ranvier. in between, ions propagate the action potential. what is this propagation called?

if i remember correctly, it also gets a fancy name besides plain old "electrical conduction", or am i making things up?

 

[ljc]

Action potential..? I don't remember any specific term for non-saltatory conduction

 

[neurodoc]

So-called "saltatory conduction" involves the propagation of electrical depolarization along a conductor that is permeable to ion fluxes only at specific points along the conductor. In between these points (or "nodes') the conductor is impermeable to ionic flow in or out of the conductor. This is different from the propagation of electrical currents in something like a wire. Nerves aren't copper wires, though they can conduct electrical currents.

One "benefit" of saltatory conduction is that it seems to increase the speed of neuronal depolarization for the sort of biological "wetware" we have evolved. It is still much slower than what we have in man-made electrical circuits. Myelinated nerve fibers, using saltatory ionic conduction, can conduct impulses at speeds of 60 to 90 m/sec. That's pretty fast for organismal "government work," but way
slower than than the conduction speeds of man-made electrical circuits.

 

[chiddler]

So-called "saltatory conduction" involves the propagation of electrical depolarization along a conductor that is permeable to ion fluxes only at specific points along the conductor. In between these points (or "nodes') the conductor is impermeable to ionic flow in or out of the conductor. This is different from the propagation of electrical currents in something like a wire. Nerves aren't copper wires, though they can conduct electrical currents.

One "benefit" of saltatory conduction is that it seems to increase the speed of neuronal depolarization for the sort of biological "wetware" we have evolved. It is still much slower than what we have in man-made electrical circuits. Myelinated nerve fibers, using saltatory ionic conduction, can conduct impulses at speeds of 60 to 90 m/sec. That's pretty fast for organismal "government work," but way
slower than than the conduction speeds of man-made electrical circuits.

oh i see. i guess my definitions were a bit jumbled. thank you.