Inhibitory postsynaptic potentials involve Blank______ of the plasma membrane.Multiple choice question.depolarizationhyperpolarization

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the types of postsynaptic potentials: inhibitory and excitatory.
2. Understand the impact of an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) on the neuron.

Relevant Concepts

3. Inhibitory postsynaptic potentials typically lead to changes in the membrane potential that make it more negative, which is referred to as hyperpolarization (as opposed to depolarization which makes the membrane potential more positive).

Analysis and Detail

4. When a neurotransmitter binds to receptors on a postsynaptic neuron, it can cause ion channels to open that allow negatively charged ions (such as Cl⁻) to enter the neuron or positively charged ions (like K⁺) to exit. This results in an increase in membrane potential negativity.

Verify and Summarize

5. Based on the function of IPSPs, it is clear that they result in hyperpolarization rather than depolarization of the plasma membrane.

Final Answer

Inhibitory postsynaptic potentials involve hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane.