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Topic: Question - Membrane Potential  (Read 4897 times)

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Offline slvcs

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Question - Membrane Potential
« on: November 19, 2007, 06:40:53 PM »
Hello   I am kind of lost with this question .

A biological cell is immersed in a 70. mM solution of NaCl at 37°C. The cell's membrane is permeable only to Na+ ions. When the system reaches equilibrium, a potential difference of 91.3 mV is measured between the inside and the outside of the cell, where the inside has the higher (more positive) potential. Calculate [Na+] inside the cell, assuming the amount of Na+ ions transferred is negligible compared to the total amount of Na+ ions in the solution.

Can someone please how to start it ?

 Thanks

Offline Sev

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Re: Question - Membrane Potential
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2007, 07:10:58 PM »
Have you heard of Nernst eqn?
Equilibrium potential is 91.3mV (potential that opposes concentration gradient).

ENa+ = 61log [Na+]out/[Na+]in (61 is 2.303RT/F at 37deg.)
Solve eqn for [Na+]in

Offline DUDE778

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Re: Question - Membrane Potential
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2007, 08:03:55 PM »
My class has the exact same question but more of  a practice quesion.
I solved it and got 1.233mM.  It says its wrong.. what did i do wrong?

Offline Sev

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Re: Question - Membrane Potential
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2007, 08:25:13 PM »
Quote
I solved it and got 1.233mM.  It says its wrong.. what did i do wrong?

Looks like you have just taken log of [Na+]Out.  Nernst eqn is actually log of fraction [o/i]

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