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Please answer the question thoroughly Some voltage-gated channels can inactivate

ID: 163919 • Letter: P

Question

Please answer the question thoroughly

Some voltage-gated channels can inactivate while some ligand-gated channels can desensitize. a. Describe the difference between inactivation and desensitization of an ion channel. b. 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

a. Closing of an ion channel is termed inactivation.

Desensitization is the the limited ion flow across an ion channel, upto as low as few milliseconds.

b. Ion channel that causes inactivation- Voltage-gated K+ channels

Ion channel that causes desensitization- Capsaicin acts on TRPV1 ion channels of neurons and induces desensitization.