Abstract
Ion channels are protein pores in the cell membrane that allow the passage of ions down their respective electrochemical gradients. Ion pumps are specialized membrane proteins that serve to convert metabolic energy into the work of moving ions across membranes against their electrochemical gradient. Ion channels are classified according to the ion passing through them (e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium, or chloride), and the mechanisms by which they are opened or closed. Acetylcholine, for example, opens chloride channels. Channel blockers are molecules that can enter the pores and physically plug them.
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Jain, K.K. (2013). Ion Channels and Neurology. In: Applications of Biotechnology in Neurology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-272-8_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-272-8_7
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