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. 1968 Dec;199(2):347–365. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008657

Sodium and calcium components of action potentials in Aplysia giant neurone

D Geduldig, D Junge
PMCID: PMC1365384  PMID: 5723516

Abstract

1. Action potentials resulting from direct stimulation can be recorded from the soma of the Aplysia giant neurone (located in the visceral ganglion) in sodium-free and in calcium-free external solutions. The neurones were impaled by internal micro-electrodes throughout the change of external solutions.

2. Complete replacement of either sodium or calcium in the bathing medium with Tris results in only a partial reduction of spike overshoot. Simultaneous replacement of both sodium and calcium reversibly and quickly abolishes the spike.

3. The sodium component of the spike in a calcium-free medium is blocked by tetrodotoxin; the drug has no effect on the calcium-dependent spike in sodium-free medium. Externally applied cobalt chloride blocks only the calcium-dependent component.

4. In calcium-free media, the overshoot value varies with sodium concentration in the manner predicted for a sodium electrode. In sodium-free media, the membrane behaves like a calcium electrode.

5. These results suggest that, during the normal action potential, both sodium and calcium act as carriers of the inward-directed current.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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