Membrane Physiology

Dr Sadia Amer
Learning Objectives
To know about the method of
recording of current flow through
single channel.
To know about facilitated diffusion.
To know about the factors affecting
net rate of diffusion.
Open state versus closed
state of Gating Channels
It shows two recording of electrical
current flowing through a single Na
channel when there was an
approximate 25 mv potential
gradient across the membrane.
This shows that channel conducts
current either all or none.
The gate of the channel snaps open
and then snaps closed, each open
state last for only a fraction of a
millisecond upto several
milliseconds.
At one voltage potential level,
channel may remain closed all the
time or almost all the time , whereas
at another voltage level, it may
remain open either all or most of the
time.
Patch clamp method for
recording ion current flow
through single channel
Micropipette- tip diameter- 1 to2mm
Facilitated Diffusion
In it transported substance diffuses
through the membrane using a
specific protein and this carrier
facilitates diffusion.
It is also called Carrier Mediated
Diffusion.
Difference between simple and
facilitated diffusion is of V
max
level.
It means the rate of diffusion cannot
rise beyond a certain level.
Because the binding force of
receptor is weak , the thermal
motion of attached molecule causes
it to break away an to be released on
the opposite side of membrane.
The rate at which molecule can be
transported can never be greater
than the rate at which the carrier
protein molecule can undergo
change back and forth b/w its two
states.
Examples of facilitated diffusion are
GLUCOSE and most of AMINOACIDS.
Carrier molecule with molecular wt
45,000 has been discovered for
glucose.

Several monosaccharides having
glucose like structures are
transported like galactose.
Insulin increases rate of diffusion by
10 to 20 folds.
Factors affecting net rate of
diffusion
Effect of concentration difference
Effect of membrane electrical
potential
Effect of pressure difference

Effect of conc. difference
The rate of net diffusion into cell is
proportional to the conc. On the
outside minus conc. On the inside.
Net diffusion~ (C
o
-C
i
)
C
o
is conc. Outside
C
i
is conc. inside
Effect of electrical potential
At normal body temp. the electrical
difference that will balance a given
conc. difference of univalent ions
such as Na ions can be determined
from formula called Nerst equation:-
EMF(in mv)=61logC
1
/C
2
Effect of pressure difference
Pressure means sum of all the forces
of different molecules striking a unit
surface area at a given instant.
Osmosis
Diffusion of substances across a
semipermeable membrane against
the concentration gradient is called
osmosis.

Osmotic Pressure
The exact amount of pressure
required to stop osmosis is called the
osmotic pressure.
Importance of number of
osmotic particles in
determining osmotic
pressure

Osmotic pressure is determined by
number of particles per unit volume
of fluid , not by mass of particles.
The large particles have greater mass
but they move at slow velocities.
The small particles move at high
velocity.
Their kinetic energy is determined
by:-
k=mv
2
/2
It is same for small as well as for
large particles.
So number of particles is important.