Transport of ions across plasma membranes
Electrical properties of plasma membranes
Part A: A basic en:RC circuit, superimposed on an image of a membrane bilayer to show the relationship between the two. Part B: A more elaborate en:RC circuit, superimposed on an image of a membrane bilayer. This RC circuit represents the electrical characteristics of a minimal patch of membrane containing at least one Na and two K channels. Elements shown are the transmembrane voltages produced by concentration gradients in potassium (green) and sodium (blue), The voltage-dependent ion channels that cross the membrane (variable resistors;K=green, Na=blue), the non-voltage-dependent K channel (black), and the membrane capacitance.
Nernest equation
Electro-chemical Equilibrium
Ek+
Concentration of Ions
Membrane permeability
Goldman Hodgkin Katz equation
Resting membrane potential
Activity K+ channels Activity of Na+ channels Na+/K+ pumps
Na+ and K+ conductance at resting potentials
Conductance of plasma membrane (Ohms Law)
I = V/R G (conductance)= 1/R I = G. V
Measuring Currents at specific membrane potential
Patch Clamp
Patch still attached to the rest of the cell, as in (A), or detached, as in (B).
Patch Patchclamp Clamp
electronic device is employed to maintain, or clamp, the membrane potential at a set value recording the ionic current through individual channels
Recording of currents in Patch Clamp
Na+ and K+ conductance at resting potentials
Changes in Resting membrane potential
Changes in Channels activity results in action potential
Ionic currents cause depolarization
Resistance to Ionic currents and activation of channels
