Please answer the question thoroughly Some voltage-gated channels can inactivate
ID: 163347 • Letter: P
Question
Please answer the question thoroughly
Some voltage-gated channels can inactivate while some ligand-gated channels can desensitize. Describe the difference between inactivation and desensitization of an ion channel. Give one concrete example of a channel that is known to inactivate (besides the typical action potential Na* channel discussed in class) and one concrete example of a channel that is known to desensitize (besides the glutamate channel discussed in class). You will need to search the literature.Explanation / Answer
Answer:
a) In a voltage-gated ion channel, Inactivation is the closing of the inactivation gate when a channel enters a state in which activation does not occur even though the activation current is present. As with activation, inactivation occurs in response to the membrane potential becoming more positive.
In a ligand-gated ion channel, neurotransmitter receptors regulating the activity of ion channels. Ligand-induced desensitization occurs when Neurotransmitter receptors are known to become unresponsive to the type of neurotransmitter they receive when exposed for extended periods of time.