Electricity and Magnetism at the Cellular Level

Abstract

This chapter describes a number of topics related to charged membranes and the movement of ions through them, including Donnan equilibrium, the Gouy–Chapman model, and the Nernst–Planck equation. Ions in solution are analyzed using the Debye–Hückel model and the Poisson–Boltzmann equation. Membrane ion channels are then discussed, with an emphasis on the potassium ion channel structure and function. Patch clamp methods can be used to measure the electrical current through individual channels, but noise in these measurements often obscures the signal. The chapter ends with a review of the possible effects of weak electric and magnetic fields on the body.