| dc.description | Despite the long and broad acceptance of the Goldman - Hodgkin - Katz equation (GHK eq.) and the
Hodgkin - Huxley equation (HH eq.) as strong tools for the quantitative analysis of the membrane potential
behavior, for a long time they have been utilized as separate concepts. That is the GHK eq. and the
HH eq. have not been associated with each other mathematically. In this paper, an attempt to associate
these equations to each other mathematically was demonstrated and was successful by viewing the
system in question as a thermodynamically real system rather than an ideal system. For achieving that,
two fundamental physical chemistry concepts, the mass action law, and the Boltzmann distribution were
employed. Hence, this paper???s achievement is completely within the framework of common thermodynamics.
Through this work, the origin of the membrane potential generation attributed to the ion
adsorption-desorption process and governed by the mass action law and the Boltzmann distribution is
expressed to be plausible, whereas the existing membrane potential generation mechanism states that
membrane potential is generated by transmembrane ion transport. As at this moment, this work does
not intend to deny the transmembrane ion transport as a membrane potential generation mechanism
but urges the readers to reconsider its validity, since this work suggests that the ion adsorptiondesorption
mechanism is as plausible as the transmembrane ion transport mechanism as a cause of
membrane potential generation. | |
