The Action Potential

For Rhanor GIllette's course's final exam we had a bonus question where we could write a poem on any topic from the subject. I wrote this poem.

The membrane thought it would form a selective wall

Not let Sodium in at all

But along came acetylcholine

Sat on its receptor named after nicotine

And forced the beginning of a positive free-for-all.

And so was set the podium

For the opening of of the voltage gated channels for Sodium

But the neuron thought it would be unfair

For Sodium to have all the fun's share

And so opened the channels for potassium.

The results of this normalization

Was that the cell saw hyperpolarization

But the membrane thought it would be prudential

To return to its resting potential

Ans so soon it reached its native configuration.