Voltage-sensitive ion channels are macromolecules that act as electrical components in the membranes of living organisms. While we know that these molecules carry out important physiological functions in many different types of cells, scientists first became aware of them in the study of the impulses that carry information along nerve and muscle fibers.
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Notes And References
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The alternative term “voltage-dependent ion channels,” although commonly used, is not precise. It is not the channels but their conformation that is dependent on voltage. These molecules are sensitive to, but not dependent on, the potential difference across the membrane.
From Poem in October by Dylan Thomas.
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(2009). Exploring Excitability. In: Leuchtag, H.R. (eds) Voltage-Sensitive Ion Channels. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5525-6_1
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