potassium channels
Cellular K⁺ pathways
Potassium channels are proteins in cell membranes that allow potassium ions to pass through.
They're essential to nerve and muscle function, helping cells generate electrical signals and return to resting state after firing.
Different types open in response to voltage changes, chemical signals, or mechanical stress.
Dysfunction in potassium channels underlies certain heart arrhythmias, epilepsies, and other disorders.
- electrophysiologyBiology's electrical activity science
- membraneThin tissue sheet
- depolarizationLoss of electrical gradient
- conductanceEase of current flow
- excitabilityProneness to strong reactions
arrhythmia · action potential · electrical signal · muscle contraction · neurons · cardiac · voltage · sodium · electrolyte · ion · muscle · leak · calcium · banana · gating · bioelectricity · pore · hyperpolarization
- cell biologycell membrane, cell division, cytoplasm, ribosome, mitochondria
- neuroscienceneuron, MRI, brain, neurons, synapses
- bioelectricityaction potential, depolarization, repolarization, hyperpolarization, axon
- cell membranescell membrane, plasma membrane, nuclear membrane, bilayer, phospholipid
- Heart Electricsdepolarization, repolarization, ECG, EKG, electrocardiogram
- ion channelsconductance, voltage-gated, ASIC, inactivation, deactivation