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A systems theoretical approach to biological membranes

I. Formulation of a generalized model for electrical phenomena in excitable membranes

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Zusammenfassung

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Eindeutigkeit der Beschreibung erregbarer Membranen mit Hilfe von Ersatzschaltungen untersucht. Bei Voraussetzung der Existenz verschiedener Membrankanäle für den Ionentransport läßt sich unter Berücksichtigung nichtlinearer Eigenschaften eine weitgehend eindeutige Ersatzschaltung für einen Kanal angeben. Als wesentliches Kriterium erweist sich dabei das Vorhandensein eines konstanten Gleichgewichts-potentials für jeden Kanal. Der lonentransport durch die Membran wird durch ein einfaches Elektrodiffusionsmodell beschrieben. Hierin ist der Potentialverlauf in der Membran durch physiko-chemische Eigenschaften der Membran und nicht durch die transportierten Ionen bestimmt. Die Leitfähigkeit eines bestimmten Kanals verändert eine Steuervariable, deren Wert sich mit Hilfe einer algebraischen Beziehung aus den Zustandsvariablen eines linearen Differentialgleichungssystems ergibt (dessen Koeffizienten vom Potential über der Zellmembran abhängen). Die Zusammenfassung mehrerer Kanäle (passives Transportsystem) und die Einführung von Stromgeneratoren für den aktiven Transport (deren Effektivität von der chemischen Zusammensetzung der an die Membran angrenzenden Lösungen abhängt) führt zu einer allgemeinen Ersatzschaltung für die erregbare Membran. Die so gewonnene Beschreibung ist hinreichend allgemeingültig, um als Grundlage für die Analyse von Problemen der Informationsverarbeitung im Nervensystem bzw. für die weitere Aufklärung der in der erregbaren Membran ablaufenden physikalisch-chemischen Prozesse zu dienen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biocybernetics, Advanced College of Technology, Magdeburg, DDR

    B. Michaelis &  R. A. Chaplain

  2. Sektion TK/ET, Technische Hochschule Otto von Guericke Biokybernetik, DDR-30, Magdeburg, German Democratic Republic

    R. A. Chaplain

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  1. B. Michaelis
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  2. R. A. Chaplain
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Michaelis, B., Chaplain, R.A. A systems theoretical approach to biological membranes. Kybernetik 12, 119–132 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289164

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289164

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