Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics calculation of the conductance of the KcsA potassium ion channel

The Debye-Hückel-Onsager equation is a cornerstone of physical chemistry, providing a method to determine the molar conductance (Λm) and molar conductance at infinite dilution (Λ°m) for uni-univalent electrolytes.Uni-univalent electrolytes are electrolytes that dissociate in solution to produce one cation with a +1 charge and one anion with a –1 charge per formula unit.This equation addresses two crucial phenomena: the asymmetry effect and the electrophoretic effect. According to this equation,...

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...

The electrical transport property of a material is defined by its resistance and conductivity. Resistance is the measure of a material's ability to resist the flow of electric current, while conductivity gauges its ability to allow the current to pass through, depending on the geometry of the measurement cell, such as electrode spacing and area. Conductivity is measured in Siemens (S). There are different types of conductance, including specific conductance, equivalent conductance, and molar...

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.

Kohlrausch's law explains that at infinite dilution, where dissociation is complete, each ion's contribution to the conductivity of the electrolyte is independent of the nature of other ions present in the solution. It also implies that when an electrolyte is highly diluted, the conductance of the electrolyte is the sum of the individual conductances of the ions it generates upon dissociation. The quantity of electricity an ion carries is proportional to its molar ionic conductance, which...