H

2
O
K
+
ion
carbonyl
Drugs and the Brain
miniLecture 9
Origin of the Resting Potential;
2012 California Institute of Technology
Electrical Aspects of Ion Channels
Storing energy in a concentration gradient
without osmotic stress:
Simply reverse the ratio of Na
+
and K
+
E l
Na
+
Na
+
Na
+
Simply reverse the ratio of Na
+
and K
+
External
Monovalent cations:
High Na
+
LowK
+
Low K
+
Na
+
Internal:
L N
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
Na
+
Na
+
K
+
Low Na
+
High K
+
K
+
NNa
+
Na
+
K
+
Typical extracellular and cytosolic ion concentrations (mammalian cell)
Extracellular
conc
Intracellular
(Cytosol) ( y )
major
monovalent
Ions
Na
+
145 mM 15 mM
K
+
4 mM 150 mM
Cl
-
110mM 10 mM
Ions
Cl
110 mM 10 mM
divalent
ti
Ca
2+
2 mM 10
-8
M
cations
Mg
2+
2 mM 0.5 mM
P
-2
2 mM 40 mM
Other ions
P
i
2 mM 40 mM
H
+
10
-7
M 10
-7
M
Protein
0.2 mM 4 mM
Converting a concentration gradient
to an electrical potential:
Create permeability to one ionic species (K
+
)
Na
+
Na
+
Na
+
Create permeability to one ionic species (K
+
)
Lost positive charge
K
+
Na
+
K
+
K
+
leads to net negative
interior potential
Na
+
Na
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
channels
Na
+
Na
+
The Nernst potential:
the energy of discharging the concentration gradient for K
+
ions
balances balances
the energy of moving the K
+
ions through the potential difference
K
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
K
+
; ln zFV
K
RT G
i
+ = A at equilibrium 0 = AG ; therefore
|
|
|

|
=
i
K RT
V ln
Deriving the Nernst Potential (Chemistry Units)
; ln zFV
K
RT G
o
+ = A at equilibrium 0 = AG ; therefore
|
|
.

\
=
o
K zF
V ln
(For K
+
, z = +1)

A f ld i f K
+
i ( ) An e-fold ratio of K
+
concentration (
o i
K K > )
therefore leads to a potential difference of .
F
RT

K) J/(mol 31 8 = R K) J/(mol 31 . 8 R
coul/mol ,500 96 = F
K 300 = T

Therefore
F
RT
= mV 25.8 mJ/coul 8 . 25 =

Thus an e-fold concentration ratio gives a -25 8 mV membrane potential Thus an e-fold concentration ratio gives a -25.8 mV membrane potential.

And a 10-fold concentration gives a -59 mV membrane potential.
Deriving the Nernst potential
(physics units)
R = Nk, where N is Avogadros number and k is Boltzmanns constant;
And F = Ne, where e is the charge on the electron.

Therefore mV 8 . 25
10 6 1
300 10 38 . 1
19
23
=

= =

C
J
e
kT
F
RT

10 6 . 1 C e F

(we are familiar with the statement that kT = 26 meV)
Neurons are not EquilibriumSystems Neurons are not Equilibrium Systems
Several types of channels of channels are open at once.
To analyze resting potentials under these circumstances,
well switch to electrical calculations.
Atomic-scale structure of (bacterial) Na
+
channels
Views
from the
extracellular extracellular
solution
Payandeh et al
electrically, open channel = conductor
Payandeh et al,
Nature 2011;
Zhang et al,
Nature 2012;
Views
from the
membrane
plane
H
2
O
K
+
ion
carbonyl
D d th B i Drugs and the Brain
End of miniLecture 9
2012 California Institute of Technology