Question

What is the significance and rationale behind the negative sign in the formulation of gate variables in Hodgkin and Huxley's articles, and why does the removal of this negative sign lead to invalid results in programming? Additionally, what is the physical interpretation of the negative sign in the context of membrane potential, and how does it relate to the convention in neurophysiology regarding the inside of cells being considered "negative" relative to the outside?

Answer 1

The negative sign in the formulation of gate variables signifies the excess of negative charges inside the cell. The removal of the negative sign in programming would lead to invalid results. The convention in neurophysiology regards the inside of cells as negative relative to the outside due to the accumulation of negative charges.

Step-by-step explanation:

The negative sign in the formulation of gate variables in Hodgkin and Huxley's articles signifies the excess of negative charges inside the cell. This negative membrane potential is a result of the mainly negatively charged ions inside the cell and the predominance of positively charged sodium (Na+) ions outside. The convention in neurophysiology regards the inside of cells as negative relative to the outside due to the accumulation of negative charges.

The removal of the negative sign in programming would lead to invalid results because it would not accurately represent the electrical charge difference across the membrane. By removing the negative sign, the positive charges inside the cell would be incorrectly represented as negative charges. This would affect calculations and simulations involving the membrane potential.