Summary and Conclusions
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(1)
As shown by the effect of death, resistance of the muscle to alternating current of low frequency is a measure of the permeability of the cell.
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(2)
Permeability is high at low and high temperatures; frog muscle if heated beyond 35°C. and mammalian muscle beyond 40°C, is irreparably damaged, the resistance being permanently lowered.
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(3)
Cations such as potassium, calcium, ammonium, magnesium increase the resistance of the muscle in small concentrations.
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(4)
Anions such as Cl, Br, I, NO3, SCN, CN increase the resistance of the muscle in small concentrations.
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(5)
Drugs and narcotics such as adrenaline, caffeine, novocaine, chloral hydrate, ether, chloroform, ethyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, octyl alcohol increase the resistance in small and decrease it in large concentrations.
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(6)
Inhibition and narcosis are associated with increased resistance or decreased permeability. Increased excitability to ions without is associated with an opposite change. Excitability to electric current is increased with diminished permeability.
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(7)
For excitation an optimum permeability is necessary.
-
(8)
The resistance of frog skin is higher than that of muscle.
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Communicated by Prof. A. Subba Rau,b.a., d.sc. (Lond.),f.r.m.s., f.a.sc.
We wish to thank Dr. R. N. Ghosh of the Physics Department, University of Allahabad, for his help and advice; we also wish to thank the Vice-Chancellor for lending the apparatus needed.
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Singh, I., Singh, I. The electrical resistance of unstriated muscle and other tissues and its relation to permeability and excitability. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 18, 58–71 (1943). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049649
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049649