The MOST LIKELY effect of increasing the potassium conductance in a cardiac pacemaker cell would be
Question
The MOST LIKELY effect of increasing the potassium conductance in a cardiac pacemaker cell would be
Solution
Increasing the potassium conductance in a cardiac pacemaker cell would most likely lead to hyperpolarization of the cell.
Here's a step-by-step explanation:
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Potassium ions (K+) are positively charged. In a resting cardiac pacemaker cell, the concentration of K+ is higher inside the cell than outside.
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Increasing potassium conductance means making the cell membrane more permeable to K+. This would allow more K+ to flow out of the cell.
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As K+ ions leave the cell, they take their positive charge with them. This makes the inside of the cell more negative relative to the outside, a state known as hyperpolarization.
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Hyperpolarization of a cardiac pacemaker cell would slow down the rate of spontaneous depolarization, which is the process that initiates each heartbeat.
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Therefore, the most likely effect of increasing the potassium conductance in a cardiac pacemaker cell would be a decrease in heart rate.
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