Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells
09:37

Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells

Published on: February 14, 2021

Potassium current in mature bovine spermatozoa

Marcelo Marconi1, Raul Sánchez, Henning Ulrich

  • 1Center for Reproductive Biotechnology, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.

Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine
|December 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a new patch-clamp method to study ion channels in bovine sperm. This technique successfully identified potassium (K+) selective currents, crucial for sperm function and potential contraceptive targets.

More Related Videos

Voltage-Dependent Potassium Current Recording on H9c2 Cardiomyocytes via the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Technique08:11

Voltage-Dependent Potassium Current Recording on H9c2 Cardiomyocytes via the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Technique

Published on: November 11, 2022

Measuring Cation Transport by Na,K- and H,K-ATPase in Xenopus Oocytes by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: An Alternative to Radioisotope Assays12:48

Measuring Cation Transport by Na,K- and H,K-ATPase in Xenopus Oocytes by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: An Alternative to Radioisotope Assays

Published on: February 19, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Resting Membrane Potential01:24

Resting Membrane Potential

The relative difference in electrical charge, or voltage, between the inside and the outside of a cell membrane, is called the membrane potential. It is generated by differences in permeability of the membrane to various ions and the concentrations of these ions across the membrane.
The Inside of a Neuron is More Negative
The membrane potential of a cell can be measured by inserting a microelectrode into a cell and comparing the charge to a reference electrode in the extracellular fluid. The...
Primary Active Transport01:29

Primary Active Transport

In contrast to passive transport, active transport involves a substance being moved through membranes in a direction against its concentration or electrochemical gradient. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport and secondary active transport. Primary active transport utilizes chemical energy from ATP to drive protein pumps embedded in the cell membrane. With energy from ATP, the pumps transport ions against their electrochemical gradients—a direction they would not...
Primary Active Transport01:47

Primary Active Transport

In contrast to passive transport, active transport involves a substance being moved through membranes in a direction against its concentration or electrochemical gradient. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport and secondary active transport. Primary active transport utilizes chemical energy from ATP to drive protein pumps that are embedded in the cell membrane. With energy from ATP, the pumps transport ions against their electrochemical gradients—a direction they...
The Resting Membrane Potential01:21

The Resting Membrane Potential

Overview
Resting Potential Decay01:15

Resting Potential Decay

The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles01:24

Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles

Every cell in the body maintains a membrane potential due to an uneven distribution of positive and negative charges across its plasma membrane. The membrane potential is measured in millivolts and quantifies the difference in charge across the membrane.
Like neurons, muscle cells are also regarded as excitable due to their capacity to change in response to stimuli, primarily due to voltage-gated ion channels embedded in their plasma membranes, which get activated by alterations in the cell's...