Electrotonic parameters of cat spinal alpha-motoneurons evaluated with an equivalent cylinder model that incorporates non-uniform membrane resistivity.
The membrane voltage transients in response to constant intracellular current steps were analyzed in cat spinal alpha-motoneurons, using an equivalent cylinder model extended to include spatial non-uniformity in membrane resistivity. The main hypothesis was that the soma membrane resistivity did not differ significantly from the dendritic membrane resistivity. Evidence was found that the uniform-resistance cylinder model cannot be applied to motoneurons on the basis of inconsistencies in calculations of electrotonic length. Assuming a constant membrane capacitance, the membrane resistivity of the dendrites was found to be 500 times that of the soma. We conclude that there is a considerable difference in the membrane resistivity between the soma and dendrites of motoneurons, and that uniform-resistance models should not be applied to spinal alpha-motoneurons.
Department of Physiology, Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, Cleveland 44106-3082.
L L
LL
Glenn
B G
BG
Samojla
J F
JF
Whitney
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*