Biophysical Properties Of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels In Mammalian Neurons

Abstract

Ion channels carry a significant importance for the human body, they’re located in all of our cells and serve a critical role in controlling the electrical potential across cell membranes. They facilitate essential functions including neuromuscular and neuronal transmission, signal transduction, and the regulation of secretion and contractility. There are multiple types of ion channels embedded in the membrane, for example, ligand-gated channels, mechanically-gated channels, and voltage-gated channels. They are vital for physiological processes such as muscle contraction, nerve signaling, and maintaining cellular balance by regulating the flow of ions across membranes. There are various types of these ion channels and sodium channels are one of them, they are a subtype of voltage-gated ion channels. They play a vital role in the initiation of electrical signals in excitable cells such as neurons. These voltage-gated sodium channels are essential for the execution of normal physiological functions. They control the flow of sodium ions through the cell membrane and therefore play a significant part in generating action potentials in neurons. They are of significant importance to the human body and play a huge role in facilitating daily life processes.