Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is …
Neurons are the main type of cell in the nervous system that generate and transmit electrochemical signals. They primarily communicate with each other …
The relative difference in electrical charge, or voltage, between the inside and the outside of a cell membrane, is called the membrane potential. It is …
Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some …
Many fundamental cell functions such as muscle contraction and nerve transmission rely on the electrical signals produced by the movement of positively …
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very …
A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates …
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when …
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because …
Lipid bilayers provide a unique experimental platform for functional studies of ion channels, allowing the examination of channel-membrane interactions …
Single-fiber recording has been a classical and effective electrophysiological technique over the last few decades because of its specific application for …
