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Related Concept Videos

Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

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...
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

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.
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles
08:03

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles

Published on: October 20, 2019

Potassium channels in C. elegans.

L Salkoff1, A D Wei, B Baban

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA. salkoffl@pcg.wustl.edu

Wormbook : the Online Review of C. Elegans Biology
|December 1, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Potassium channels are vital for electrical signaling and cell function in all animals. The C. elegans genome reveals a surprisingly large family of these essential ion channels, conserved across species.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Ion channels, acting as electronic switches, generate and propagate electrical signals in the nervous system.
  • Potassium channels are crucial for shaping electrical signaling and establishing resting potentials in animal cells, fundamental for life and brain function.
  • The C. elegans genome sequencing project provided new insights into the potassium channel gene family.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To appreciate the size and diversity of the potassium channel gene family.
  • To understand the expression patterns and conservation of potassium channels.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing of C. elegans.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of gene families.
  • Comparative genomics to assess conservation.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 70 genes encoding potassium channels were identified in the C. elegans genome (out of over 19,000 genes).
  • Potassium channels are expressed in all cell types, not exclusively neurons.
  • Many cells express a diverse set of multiple potassium channels.
  • All C. elegans potassium channel types are conserved in mammals.

Conclusions:

  • C. elegans possesses a large and diverse family of potassium channels, indicating their significant physiological importance.
  • Despite its simple organismal structure, C. elegans exhibits complex cell physiology related to potassium channel expression.
  • The conservation of these channels highlights their fundamental role in animal biology.