THE EFFECT OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IONS ON THE IMPEDANCE CHANGE ACCOMPANYING THE SPIKE IN THE SQUID GIANT AXON

Decrease of the sodium concentration of the medium depresses both the spike and the associated impedance change in almost identical fashion. Elevation of the potassium level also depresses both phenomena, but affects the impedance change more than the spike; it slows the return to the initial impedance level. The effects on the threshold to brief square waves are also described. These results appear largely accounted for by the observations of Hodgkin and Huxley with the voltage clamp technique and by their recent hypothesis as to nature of the spike processes.