Question

Tetraethylammonium (tea) is a potent neurotoxin that results in death from respiratory failure within 10 to 30 minutes. when a neuron is incubated with tea, researchers observed that action potentials could be generated, but the membrane potential remained positive and never returned to the resting membrane potential. what channel is tea likely acting on?

Answer 1

Tetraethylammonium (tea) is acting on voltage-gated potassium channels.

Voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKCs) are transmembrane channels specific for potassium and sensitive to voltage changes in the cell's membrane potential. During action potentials, they play a crucial role in returning the depolarized cell to a resting state.