FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON RESTING AND ACTION POTENTIAL OF INTRACELLULARLY PERFUSED SQUID AXON

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Abstract
The excitability of the squid giant axon membrane can be maintained under continuous intracellular perfusion with solutions of sodium chloride, sodium sul-fate, tetramethylammonium chloride, guanidine sulfate, or choline chloride. The concentrations of sodium, magnesium, and calcium ions in the outside medium must be adjusted properly to maintain excitability under such intracellular perfusion. The resting membrane potential varies, depending upon the extracellular concentration of divalent cations. Replacement of chloride on both sides of the membrane with sulfate has little effect on the membrane potentials. The experimental findings support our view that change of univalent for divalent positive counter-ions at negatively charged sites in the membrane is the electrochemical basis of nerve excitation.