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What direction do potassium ions flow through voltage gated potassium channels in cardiac pacemaker and cardiac contractile cells?

Question

What direction do potassium ions flow through voltage gated potassium channels in cardiac pacemaker and cardiac contractile cells?

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Solution

Potassium ions flow out of the cell through voltage-gated potassium channels in both cardiac pacemaker cells and cardiac contractile cells. This is a part of the repolarization phase of the action potential in these cells.

Here are the steps:

  1. The action potential in cardiac cells begins with the opening of voltage-gated sodium channels, which allows sodium ions to flow into the cell. This causes the cell to depolarize, or become more positive.

  2. Once the cell has depolarized, voltage-gated potassium channels open. This allows potassium ions to flow out of the cell.

  3. The outflow of potassium ions causes the cell to repolarize, or become more negative. This is necessary to reset the cell's membrane potential and prepare it for the next action potential.

  4. After the potassium channels close, the cell's membrane potential is maintained by the sodium-potassium pump, which pumps sodium out of the cell and potassium into the cell.

So, in summary, potassium ions flow out of the cell through voltage-gated potassium channels in both cardiac pacemaker and cardiac contractile cells.

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