NEU 330 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Membrane Potential
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Answers hodgkin and huxley calculated how both na+ and k+ conductances changed over time, where they measured the time course of the na+ and k+ currents when the membrane was depolarized to one value, -10 mv. To show how conductance varies with membrane potential, they obtained a family of curves representing the na+ and k+ conductances when the membrane was depolarized to many different potentials. In those experiments they were not interested in how conductances changed over time. Rather they were evaluated the largest na+ and k+ conductance that was evoked as the membrane potential was clamped at different depolarized values. Na+ and k+ conductance at the peak of the na+ current and when the k+ current had reached its largest value. The peak na+ conductance at a particular membrane potential indicates the degree to which the population of na+ ion channels were opened by that voltage and the maximum k+ conductance indicates the degree to which the population of.
