4 ms·
>(intercellular communication is actually chemical, not electrical) Passing sodium ions around still sort of counts as electrical though doesn't it, because yo
by JonnieCache 14y ago
>(intercellular communication is actually chemical, not electrical)
Passing sodium ions around still sort of counts as electrical though doesn't it, because you're transferring charge? Or have I misunderstood?
- hderms 14y agoit's definitely an electro-chemical gradient of sorts. at the cellular junction i believe the messages being transmitted are mostly receptor based (neurotransmitters) but there possibly some external ionic messages as well. I believe what you're referring to is when an action potential of ionic charge moves up a neuron and triggers the release of neurotransmitters. The message inside the neuron is due to the behavior of ions, and the message externally by receptor-binding neurotransmitters.
- CognitiveLens 14y agoThe distinction is that generally we think of "electricity" as a cascade of electrons, whereas action potentials are a cascade of ions. The net effect of both is a transfer of charge, but the mechanism is slightly different.