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The open Na+ channel goes through ______ to become inactivated. Then it has ________ to close it. and then use ____ to reopen it.

User Martincho
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Final answer:

An open Na+ channel goes through inactivation, then the activation gate closes it, and repolarization reopens it. The Na+/K+ transporter assists in restoring the resting potential to make the channel ready for a new action potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

The open Na+ channel goes through an inactivation process to become inactivated. Then it has an activation gate that closes it. Afterward, the channel requires repolarization to reopen it.

The voltage-gated Na+ channel has two gates. The activation gate opens when the membrane potential crosses -55 mV, and the inactivation gate closes after a fraction of a millisecond. To reopen the channel, first the membrane potential must pass -55 mV again, making the activation gate close, then the inactivation gate re-opens following hyperpolarization, which is facilitated by the Na+/K+ transporter pumping K+ ions into the cell and Na+ ions out, eventually restoring the resting potential and allowing the channel to be ready for the next action potential.

User Ru
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