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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

Temperature and excitable cells: Testable predictions from a thermodynamic perspective.

Christian Fillafer¹, Matthias F Schneider¹

¹Biological Physics Group; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Boston University; Boston, MA USA.

Communicative & Integrative Biology

|February 25, 2014

Summary

Action potentials (APs) are conserved across cells, but their temperature dependence is explained by a thermodynamic model. This model treats APs as acoustic phenomena, predicting macroscopic membrane properties and relaxation timescales.

Keywords:

acoustic pulse action potential conduction velocity propagation relaxation sensory physiology temperature thermodynamics thermosensing

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cellular Physiology
Thermodynamics

Background:

Action potential (AP) conduction velocity is temperature-dependent.
This velocity-temperature relationship is conserved across diverse excitable cells.
Existing models often focus on molecular-level temperature sensitivities.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a phenomenological thermodynamic interpretation of AP conduction velocity.
To explore the macroscopic material properties of excitable cell membranes.
To hypothesize about cellular relaxation timescales based on thermodynamic principles.

Main Methods:

Modeling APs as acoustic phenomena.
Applying thermodynamic principles to macroscopic membrane properties.
Analyzing temperature dependence of material properties.

Main Results:

The thermodynamic approach yields testable predictions for AP temperature dependence.
Macroscopic material properties of the cell membrane are constrained by excitability.
The model provides insights into cellular relaxation timescales.

Conclusions:

A thermodynamic, acoustic model offers a conserved framework for understanding APs.
This approach extends beyond temperature to other thermodynamic variables.
The model has implications for sensory physiology and understanding cellular responses.