Unmyelinated and Myelinated Axons
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Ions – Cations and Anions
- Many types of
ions are dissolved in the water environment that surrounds the neuron cell membrane.
- Ions are charged particles that
form when atoms and molecules gain or lose one or more electrons.
- Atoms or molecules that lose electrons become
positively charged and are called cations.
- In contrast, those that gain electrons become
negatively chargedand are called anions.
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- In a water environment there are many ions. Sodium (Na+) , Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca+2), Chloride (Cl-), and proteins (-) are the most common.
- Ions
attract nearby polar water molecules.
- The resulting hydration layers keep anions and cations
separated, which allows the ions to remain dissolved in the water.
- If the hydration layers are
removed, molecules such as NaCl (sodium chloride) or KCl (potassium chloride) will form due to ionic bonding between the anions and cations.