Michael Edelman wrote:
>> Richard Norman wrote:
>> > Wookie wrote in message <36bb94b0.44628370 at news.casema.net>...
> > >I know that a difference in charge between intracellular and
> > >extracellular is responsible for the membrane potential.
> > >But I just can't grasp the idea of a potential, the only thing that
> > >you can measure is a difference.
> > >As I understand correctly the membrane potential is the force
> > >experienced by a charged particle that's within this electric field.
> > >Can please someone give a better definition
> > >
You have the concept. The language is sloppy. When someone speaks of a
transmembrane potential they really mean transmembrane potential
difference. Same thing happens when talking about the electrical
current coming out of a wall socket (in the US). They talked about 60
cycle AC, when they really meant to say 60 cycles per second AC. This
got to be such a problem, that frequency is now given in Hertz rather
than cps.
--
Gary Krause, M.D.
Wayne State University
Department of Emergency Medicine
51 Lande Bldg, 550 E. Canfield Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201 USA
