Factors- conduction speed

• How many factors affect the speed of conduction of action potentials?

  3
• what 3 factors affect the speed of conduction of action potentials?


  • myelination
  • axon diameter
  • temperature
• How does axon diameter affect the speed of conduction of action potentials?


  • Conducted quicker along axons with bigger diameters
• Why are action potentials conducted quicker along axons with bigger diameters?

  There is less resistance to the flow of ions than in the cytoplasm of a smaller axon

  • Less resistance = depolarisation reaches other parts of the neurone cell membrane quicker
• How does temp affect the speed of conduction of action potentials?

  • Speed of conduction increases as temp increases
• Why does the speed of conduction of action potentials increase as the temperature increases?

  Ions diffuse faster. The speed only increases up to around 40C though, after that the proteins begin to denature and the SPEED DECREASES