Abstract
Ionic changes in limited intra- and extracellular spaces are the consequence of the generation of every biopotential. A wide range of techniques has been used in recent years to show that normal neuronal activity causes K+ to accumulate in the narrow clefts separating the cellular elements. However, it was not until the K+ — selective microelectrodes with liquid ion exchanger — Corning code 477317 had been developed by J.L. Walker in 1971 that it has been possible to measure the dynamic changes of K+ in the vicinity of active neurones and fibres. This development brought a new surge of interest in the functional significance of the transient K+ accumulation in the nervous system. The two main questions at that time were:
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1)
What changes in [K+]e occur during neuronal activity?
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2)
How might these changes of [K+]e affect the functioning of the nervous system?
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© 1981 Plenum Press, New York
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Syková, E. (1981). Extracellular K+ Accumulation in the Spinal Cord. In: Syková, E., Hník, P., Vyklický, L. (eds) Ion-Selective Microelectrodes and Their Use in Excitable Tissues. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9224-2_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9224-2_14
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