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Electrostatics and gating of excitable membranes

✍ Scribed by Ingemar Lundström; Claes Nylander

Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1983
Tongue
English
Weight
655 KB
Volume
23
Category
Article
ISSN
0020-7608

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✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Two electrostatic models for ion permeability of membranes are considered. In the first model ions pass hydrated through the membrane and in the second model ions pass unhydrated through a channel lined with polar groups. In both cases it is found that it is not necessary to assume a high macroscopic dielectric constant of the membrane or channel to provide a low enough potential energy of the ion in the membrane. Gating of excitable membranes is considered a special case of electrostatic interaction in membranes. A simple physical model which fits with Hodgkin and Huxley's empirical relation is derived. Finally, we have speculated upon other membrane bound biological phenomena where electrostatic effects may be important.

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