ELECTRON TRANSFER EFFECTS AND THE MECHANISM OF THE MEMBRANE POTENTIAL.

Abstract

Since numerous reactions take place simultaneously in biological membrane systems, the membrane potential can very often not be the result of a single process, but rather a steady-state potential reflecting the joint functioning of several systems maintaining the homeostasis of the organism. For example, the potential observed in model systems when the enzymes of the respiratory chain of mitochondrian changes upon addition of 'food' such as NADH, ascorbic acid, and a number of other reductants. This paper is limited chiefly to examination of redox processes that could serve as the source of potential on bilayer lipid membranes - the simplest model of a biological membrane.