Membrane electrical capacitance

Fig. 3. Heat production is an important consideration for devices using electric fields in the liquid near cells. This figure shows the theoretical distribution of heat production in and around a spherical cell at the centre of a quadrupole electrode chamber in a solution of low electrical conductivity (top) and high conductivity (bottom). The heat production is given by gE2 where g is the conductivity of the solution or cell component and E is the (local) electric field strength. The contour interval is 7% of the maximum in each case. The cell is modelled as an electrically conductive sphere enveloped by an insulating but capacitive membrane.

Electrical properties of membranes. Biological membranes serve as barriers to the passage of ions and polar molecules, a fact that is reflected in their high electrical resistance and capacitance. The electrical resistance is usually 10 ohms cm, while the capacitance is 0.5-1.5 microfarad (pF) cm . The corresponding values for artificial membranes are 10 ohms cm and 0.6 - 0.9 pF cm . The lower resistance of biological membranes must result from the presence of proteins and other ion-carrying substances or of pores in the membranes. The capacitance values for the two types of membrane are very close to those expected for a bilayer with a thickness of 2.5 nm and a dielectric constant of 2. 4 The electrical potential gradient is steep. 

More recently, dielectrophoretic studies have for instance been reported on T-lymphocytes (Pethig and Talary, 2007) and on how cell destruction during dielectrophoresis can be minimized (or used) by appropriate choice of AC frequency and amplimde (Menachery and Pethig, 2005). Dielectrophoresis has also been used for measurement of membrane electrical properties such as capacitance and conductance for insulin-secreting pancreatic cells (Pethig et al., 2005). 

Fig. 1 shows that the curves obtained with 0.5 and 5 mM K in the internal volume were displaced by only about 0.35 pH-units, or approx. 21 mV from one another. This is due to the effect of the membrane electrical capacitance on the distribution of at equilibrium [4,7]. We used the method of Apell and Bersch [ ] to calculate equilibrium values of the -diffusion potential after addition of proteoliposomes with a known internal -concentration to a medium with 50 mM K, in the presence of valinomycin. Fig. 2 shows the dependence of these diffusion potentials on the internal diameter of the proteoliposomes. The dashed line in Fig. 2 shows that with proteoliposomes of 27 nm internal diameter, the -diffusion potential obtained with an initial internal K -concentration of 0.5 mM is only 21 mV higher than the one obtained with an initial internal -concentration of 5 mM. The diffusion potential obtained in the latter case is 52 mV. These diffusion potentials correspond with ApH-values of 0.36 and 0.88 units, respectively. This is in good agreement with the results shown in Fig. 1, and the required internal diameter of 27 nm is in good agreement with electron-microscopic and other evidence on the size of the proteoliposomes [2]. Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows that vesicles of this diameter generate a K -diffusion potential of only 77 mV even if the initial internal -concentration is zero. Since ATP-synthesis was observed only above a threshold Apjj+ of 90 mV (Fig. 1), this explains why... 

Sivaramakrishnan S, Rajamani R, Pappenfus TM (2008) Electrically stretched capacitive membranes for stiffness sensing and analyte concentration measurement. Sens Actuators B 135 262-267... 

Figure 9.13 Nyquist (a) and Bode (b) plots for porous PS-Uf (O) and PS-Uf-BSA fouled ) membranes in contact with 5 X 10 M NaCI solution. Variation of membranes electrical resistance (c) and capacitance (d).

Simple considerations show that the membrane potential cannot be treated with computer simulations, and continuum electrostatic methods may constimte the only practical approach to address such questions. The capacitance of a typical lipid membrane is on the order of 1 j.F/cm-, which corresponds to a thickness of approximately 25 A and a dielectric constant of 2 for the hydrophobic core of a bilayer. In the presence of a membrane potential the bulk solution remains electrically neutral and a small charge imbalance is distributed in the neighborhood of the interfaces. The membrane potential arises from... 

The primary reference method used for measuring carbon monoxide in the United States is based on nondispersive infrared (NDIR) photometry (1, 2). The principle involved is the preferential absorption of infrared radiation by carbon monoxide. Figure 14-1 is a schematic representation of an NDIR analyzer. The analyzer has a hot filament source of infrared radiation, a chopper, a sample cell, reference cell, and a detector. The reference cell is filled with a non-infrared-absorbing gas, and the sample cell is continuously flushed with ambient air containing an unknown amount of CO. The detector cell is divided into two compartments by a flexible membrane, with each compartment filled with CO. Movement of the membrane causes a change in electrical capacitance in a control circuit whose signal is processed and fed to a recorder. 

This chapter is devoted to the behavior of double layers and inclusion-free membranes. Section II treats two simple models, the elastic dimer and the elastic capacitor. They help to demonstrate the origin of electroelastic instabilities. Section III considers electrochemical interfaces. We discuss theoretical predictions of negative capacitance and how they may be related to reality. For this purpose we introduce three sorts of electrical control and show that this anomaly is most likely to arise in models which assume that the charge density on the electrode is uniform and can be controlled. This real applications only the total charge or the applied voltage can be fixed. We then show that predictions of C < 0 under a-control may indicate that in reality the symmetry breaks. Such interfaces undergo a transition to a nonuniform state the initial uniformity assumption is erroneous. Most... 

A variety of methods have been developed to study exocytosis. Neurotransmitter and hormone release can be measured by the electrical effects of released neurotransmitter or hormone on postsynaptic membrane receptors, such as the neuromuscular junction (NMJ see below), and directly by biochemical assay. Another direct measure of exocytosis is the increase in membrane area due to the incorporation of the secretory granule or vesicle membrane into the plasma membrane. This can be measured by increases in membrane capacitance (Cm). Cm is directly proportional to membrane area and is defined as Cm = QAJV, where Cm is the membrane capacitance in farads (F), Q is the charge across the membrane in coulombs (C), V is voltage (V) and Am is the area of the plasma membrane (cm2). The specific capacitance, Q/V, is the amount of charge that must be deposited across 1 cm2 of membrane to change the potential by IV. The specific capacitance, mainly determined by the thickness and dielectric constant of the phospholipid bilayer membrane, is approximately 1 pF/cm2 for intracellular organelles and the plasma membrane. Therefore, the increase in plasma membrane area due to exocytosis is proportional to the increase in Cm. 

Casadio, R., Venturoli, G. and Melandri, B. A. (1988). Evaluation of the electrical capacitance in biological membranes at different phospholipid to protein ratios -a study in photosynthetic bacterial chromatophores based on electrochromic effects, Eur. Biophys. J., 16, 243-253. 

Both types of Bourdon gauge are most suitable for use with corrosive gases and both can be used most effectively as null-point instruments. Several types of mechanical gauge are available commercially which use electrical capacitance or induction to magnify the mechanical movement of a membrane. Such gauges are easily operated in a differential mode and can be used for measuring pressure differences down to ca. 10 Torr. 

Fig. 108a-c. Proposed equivalent circuits for. a an empty and b a semiconductor-particle-coated BLM. Porous structure of the semiconductor particles allowed c the simplification of the equivalent circuit. Rm, RH, and Rsol are resistances due to the membrane, to the Helmholtz electrical double layer, and to the electrolyte solutions, while C and CH are the corresponding capacitances Rf and Cf are the resistance and capacitance due to the particulate semiconductor film R m and Cm are the resistance and capacitance of the parts of the BLM which remained unaltered by the incorporation of the semiconductor particles R and Csc are the space charge resistance and capacitance at the semiconductor particle-BLM interface and Rss and C are the resistance and capacitance due to surface-state on the semiconductor particles in the BLM [652]... 

A solution of brain lipids was brushed across a small hole in a 5-ml. polyethylene pH cup immersed in an electrolyte solution. As observed under low power magnification, the thick lipid film initially formed exhibited intense interference colors. Finally, after thinning, black spots of poor reflectivity suddenly appeared in the film. The black spots grew rapidly and evenutally extended to the limit of the opening (5, 10). The black membranes have a thickness ranging from 60-90 A. under the electron microscope. Optical and electrical capacitance measurements have also demonstrated that the membrane, when in the final black state, corresponds closely to a bimolecular leaflet structure. Hence, these membranous structures are known as bimolecular, black, or bilayer lipid membranes (abbreviated as BLM). The transverse electrical and transport properties of BLM have been studied usually by forming such a structure interposed between two aqueous phases (10, 17). 

FET type humidity sensor. Although sensors based on a field-effect transistor (FET) appear to hold promise as a small and low-cost intelligent sensor, relatively few people have been engaged in the research on FET type sensors in Japan. In this respect, it is remarkable that a FET type humidity sensor was developed recently by Hijikigawa of Sharp Corp (9). The sensor is also worth notice as a new type of humidity sensor, which utilizes changes in electric capacitance of humidity sensitive membrane interposed between double gate electrodes. 

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