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Journal ArticleDOI

A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve

28 Aug 1952-The Journal of Physiology (Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111))-Vol. 117, Iss: 4, pp 500-544
TL;DR: This article concludes a series of papers concerned with the flow of electric current through the surface membrane of a giant nerve fibre by putting them into mathematical form and showing that they will account for conduction and excitation in quantitative terms.
Abstract: This article concludes a series of papers concerned with the flow of electric current through the surface membrane of a giant nerve fibre (Hodgkinet al, 1952,J Physiol116, 424–448; Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952,J Physiol116, 449–566) Its general object is to discuss the results of the preceding papers (Section 1), to put them into mathematical form (Section 2) and to show that they will account for conduction and excitation in quantitative terms (Sections 3–6)

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Citations
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TL;DR: Using the regularity of the ergodic periodic measure, the average spike rate for a time periodically forced stochastic FitzHugh–Nagumo model with degenerate noise is estimated in terms of the probability density of two-point motions of the membrane potential via Rice’s formula.
Abstract: We discuss ergodicity on a Poincare section and estimate the average spike rate for a time periodically forced stochastic FitzHugh–Nagumo model with degenerate noise. Stochastic FitzHugh–Nagumo (SFHN) model is a prototype stochastic neural oscillator, describing the generation and propagation of action potentials or spikes in an excitable neuron at the intracellular level. Neuronal spikes play significant role in neural information coding of various nervous systems, they are described in terms of an infinitesimal probability that spikes occur, known as spike rate. Estimation of this spike rate is a subtle task for time continuous stochastic processes such as solutions of SFHN model and, in particular, time periodically forced SFHN model. Using the regularity of the ergodic periodic measure, we estimate the average spike rate in terms of the probability density of two-point motions of the membrane potential via Rice’s formula.

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wavelet analysis of nonstationary fluctuations of patch and synaptic currents expands the ability to determine accurately the variance and frequency of current fluctuations, demonstrates the limits of applicability of techniques currently used to evaluate the single channel current and number of AMPA channels, and offers new insights into the mechanisms involved in the generation of unitary quantal events at excitatory central synapses.

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicate that the axolemma cholesterol accessible to filipin seems to play no specific role in the functioning of the tetrodotoxin receptors and sodium channels.

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors derived the kinetic coefficients of activation and inactivation gates in ion channels by Onsager reciprocity theorem for an ensemble of gating particles, and proposed that the obtained kinetic coefficients can be used as a comparative tool for the empirical validity of fitted rate constant functions to experimental data.

9 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A theoretical picture has been presented based on the use of the general kinetic equations for ion motion under the influence of diffusion and electrical forces and on a consideration of possible membrane structures that shows qualitative agreement with the rectification properties and very good agreementwith the membrane potential data.
Abstract: Impedance and potential measurements have been made on a number of artificial membranes. Impedance changes were determined as functions of current and of the composition of the environmental solutions. It was shown that rectification is present in asymmetrical systems and that it increases with the membrane potential. The behavior in pairs of solutions of the same salt at different concentrations has formed the basis for the studies although a few experiments with different salts at the same concentrations gave results consistent with the conclusions drawn. A theoretical picture has been presented based on the use of the general kinetic equations for ion motion under the influence of diffusion and electrical forces and on a consideration of possible membrane structures. The equations have been solved for two very simple cases; one based on the assumption of microscopic electroneutrality, and the other on the assumption of a constant electric field. The latter was found to give better results than the former in interpreting the data on potentials and rectification, showing agreement, however, of the right order of magnitude only. Although the indications are that a careful treatment of boundary conditions may result in better agreement with experiment, no attempt has been made to carry this through since the data now available are not sufficiently complete or reproducible. Applications of the second theoretical case to the squid giant axon have been made showing qualitative agreement with the rectification properties and very good agreement with the membrane potential data.

2,685 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The identity of the ions which carry the various phases of the membrane current is chiefly concerned with sodium ions, since there is much evidence that the rising phase of the action potential is caused by the entry of these ions.
Abstract: In the preceding paper (Hodgkin, Huxley & Katz, 1952) we gave a general description of the time course of the current which flows through the membrane of the squid giant axon when the potential difference across the membrane is suddenly changed from its resting value, and held at the new level by a feed-back circuit ('voltage clamp' procedure). This article is chiefly concerned with the identity of the ions which carry the various phases of the membrane current. One of the most striking features of the records of membrane current obtained under these conditions was that when the membrane potential was lowered from its resting value by an amount between about 10 and 100 mV. the initial current (after completion of the quick pulse through the membrane capacity) was in the inward direction, that is to say, the reverse ofthe direction of the current which the same voltage change would have caused to flow in an ohmic resistance. The inward current was of the right order of magnitude, and occurred over the right range of membrane potentials, to be the current responsible for charging the membrane capacity during the rising phase of an action potential. This suggested that the phase of inward current in the voltage clamp records might be carried by sodium ions, since there is much evidence (reviewed by Hodgkin, 1951) that the rising phase of the action potential is caused by the entry of these ions, moving under the influence of concentration and potential differences. To investigate this possibility, we carried out voltage clamp runs with the axon surrounded by solutions with reduced sodium concentration. Choline was used as an inert cation since replacement of sodium with this ion makes the squid axon completely inexcitable, but does not reduce the resting potential (Hodgkin & Katz, 1949; Hodgkin, Huxley & Katz, 1949).

2,315 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The importance of ionic movements in excitable tissues has been emphasized by a number of recent experiments which are consistent with the theory that nervous conduction depends on a specific increase in permeability which allows sodium ions to move from the more concentrated solution outside a nerve fibre to the more dilute solution inside it.
Abstract: The importance of ionic movements in excitable tissues has been emphasized by a number of recent experiments. On the one hand, there is the finding that the nervous impulse is associated with an inflow of sodium and an outflow of potassiuim (e.g. Rothenberg, 1950; Keynes & Lewis, 1951). On the other, there are experiments which show that the rate of rise and amplitude of the action potential are determined by the concentration of sodium in the external medium (e.g. Hodgkin & Katz, 1949 a; Huxley & Stiimpffi, 1951). Both groups of experiments are consistent with the theory that nervous conduction depends on a specific increase in permeability which allows sodium ions to move from the more concentrated solution outside a nerve fibre to the more dilute solution inside it. This movement of charge makes the inside of the fibre positive and provides a satisfactory explanation for the rising phase of the spike. Repolarization during the falling phase probably depends on an outflow of potassium ions and may be accelerated by a process which increases the potassium permeability after the action potential has reached its crest (Hodgkin, Huxley & Katz, 1949).

1,569 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper contains a further account of the electrical properties of the giant axon of Loligo and deals with the 'inactivation' process which gradually reduces sodium permeability after it has undergone the initial rise associated with depolarization.
Abstract: This paper contains a further account of the electrical properties of the giant axon of Loligo. It deals with the 'inactivation' process which gradually reduces sodium permeability after it has undergone the initial rise associated with depolarization. Experiments described previously (Hodgkin & Huxley, 1952a, b) show that the sodium conductance always declines from its initial maximum, but they leave a number of important points unresolved. Thus they give no information about the rate at which repolarization restores the ability of the membrane to respond with its characteristic increase of sodium conductance. Nor do they provide much quantitative evidence about the influence of membrane potential on the process responsible for inactivation. These are the main problems with which this paper is concerned. The experimental method needs no special description, since it was essentially the same as that used previously (Hodgkin, Huiley & Katz, 1952; Hodgkin & Huxley, 1952b).

1,547 citations