Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Resting Potential Decay01:15

Resting Potential Decay

6.9K
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...
6.9K
Resting Potential Decay01:15

Resting Potential Decay

2.2K
2.2K
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

4.3K
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....
4.3K
Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview

5.5K
An electrochemical gradient is a fundamental concept in biology and chemistry. It regulates the movement of ions across cell membranes. This movement is influenced by two factors:
The electrical gradient: The electrical gradient across cell membranes refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a cell.  This difference drives the movement of ions towards or away from the cells. For instance, if the inside of the cell is more negatively charged relative to...
5.5K
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles01:24

Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles

11.0K
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...
11.0K
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

15.1K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
15.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Daily oscillations of neuronal membrane capacitance.

Cell reports·2024
Same author

Oscillatory network spontaneously recovers both activity and robustness after prolonged removal of neuromodulators.

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2024
Same author

Neuronal network complexity can strengthens activity robustness.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2023
Same author

Frequency-Dependent Action of Neuromodulation.

eNeuro·2021
Same author

Neuronal Homeostasis: Voltage Brings It All Together.

Current biology : CB·2019
Same author

Neuromodulation of central pattern generators and its role in the functional recovery of central pattern generator activity.

Journal of neurophysiology·2019
Same journal

Beyond scents: calling on the fragrance industry to champion plant diversity.

Bioscience·2026
Same journal

Bridging genetic knowledge gaps in a biodiversity hotspot through conservation training.

Bioscience·2026
Same journal

Crediting and citing Indigenous Knowledges within research.

Bioscience·2026
Same journal

From Knowledge to Action: Next Steps for the Natural Science Collections Community.

Bioscience·2026
Same journal

Correction to: Leveraging collective impact to characterize and identify solutions to cultural challenges within scientific societies.

Bioscience·2026
Same journal

Denial and Misconceptions about Tropical Deforestation.

Bioscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

8.7K

Ionic Current Variability and Functional Stability in the Nervous System.

Jorge Golowasch1

  • 1Federated Department of Biological Sciences, at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, in Newark.

Bioscience
|June 13, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuronal ionic currents vary widely between cells, but correlated conductances ensure consistent neuronal function. This correlation mechanism stabilizes neural activity despite individual component variability.

Keywords:
animal physiologyconductanceshomeostasisneurobiologyvariability

More Related Videos

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism
08:44

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism

Published on: October 17, 2025

835
Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

12.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

8.7K
Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism
08:44

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism

Published on: October 17, 2025

835
Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond
08:08

Real-time Electrophysiology: Using Closed-loop Protocols to Probe Neuronal Dynamics and Beyond

Published on: June 24, 2015

12.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Cellular Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Neurons exhibit significant population variability in ionic current levels, challenging the concept of stereotypical neuronal function.
  • Despite differing ionic conductances, many neurons display remarkably similar output activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review theoretical and experimental evidence on how neuronal ionic current correlations impact functional stability.
  • To explain the apparent paradox of consistent neuronal activity despite variable ionic current expression.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing theoretical models of neuronal excitability.
  • Analysis of experimental data on ionic conductance variability in identified neurons.
  • Exploration of correlational structures within neuronal ion channel expression.

Main Results:

  • Neuronal ionic current variability can lead to output gradients in some cases.
  • In many neuron populations, ionic conductances are correlated, with one current's conductance varying proportionally to another's.
  • These correlations can effectively reduce global ionic current variability across a neuronal population.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal ionic current correlation is a key mechanism for maintaining functional stability.
  • Correlated conductances allow for consistent neuronal output despite underlying molecular variability.
  • This phenomenon highlights a critical principle in neural computation and robustness.