Individual electrical events

Stimulation of the motoneuron releases acetylcholine onto the muscle endplate and results in contraction of the muscle fiber. Contraction and associated electrical events can be produced by intra-arterial injection of ACh close to the muscle. Since skeletal muscle does not possess inherent myogenic tone, the tone of apparently resting muscle is maintained by spontaneous and intermittent release of ACh. The consequences of spontaneous release at the motor endplate of skeletal muscle are small depolarizations from the quantized release of ACh, termed miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) [15] (seeCh. 10). Decay times for the MEPPs range between l and 2 ms, a duration similar to the mean channel open time seen with ACh stimulation of individual receptor molecules. Stimulation of the motoneuron results in the release of several hundred quanta of ACh. The summation of MEPPs gives rise to a postsynaptic excitatory potential (PSEP),... 

Here, we would like to review systematically the electrical potentials which originate from, first, individual molecular events, then, molecular assemblies as biointerfaces, followed by discussion of the potential differences across biological membranes, and lastly, interaction forces acting between two cells. 

When Uranus rides into town, life gets interesting. As the planet of revolution, invention, electricity, individuality, and eccentricity, Uranus disrupts the usual flow of events and is associated with unforeseen occurrences and... 

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