Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Slow Response of Crustacean Nerve Fibre in a Solution Deficient in Chloride Ions

Abstract

IN skeletal muscle fibres the permeability of chloride ions is higher than the permeability of potassium ions1. Deficiency of chloride ions leads to a prolongation of the action potential, suggesting that the repolarization phase depends to some extent on anion-current2. In the nerve fibre, however, the permeability of chloride ions is relatively low in the resting state and chloride ions are not important for the repolarization phase of the action potential (for example, see ref. 3 for squid giant axon and ref. 4 for Ranvier node of frog).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hodgkin, A. L., and Horowicz, P., J. Physiol., 148, 127 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Falk, G., and Landa, J. F., Amer. J. Physiol., 198, 289 (1960).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Baker, P. F., Hodgkin, A. L., and Shaw, T. I., J. Physiol., 164, 355 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hashimura, S., and Osa, T., Jap. J. Physiol., 13, 219 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wright, E. B., and Tomita, T., Amer. J. Physiol., 202, 856 (1962).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Tomita, T., and Wright, E. B., J. Cell. Comp. Physiol., 65, 195 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

TOMITA, T., WRIGHT, E. Slow Response of Crustacean Nerve Fibre in a Solution Deficient in Chloride Ions. Nature 211, 1100–1101 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2111100a0

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2111100a0

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing