Ion channels in nerve membranes

OCT 01, 1976

The membranes of nerves, which play a key role in the conduction of impulses, are now believed to be traversed by protein channels with ion pathways opened and closed by the membrane electric field.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3024408

Gerald Ehrenstein

The molecular mechanisms underlying the message‐carrying ability of nerves are not well understood. However, the experimental opportunities offered by the large‐diameter “giant” nerve fibers of squid (see cover photo) and certain marine worms (see figure 1) have led to the discovery of significant facts about the origin of the nerve impulse.

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More about the authors

Gerald Ehrenstein, Molecular Biophysics, Laboratory of Biophysics, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda.