hide
Free keywords:
Membrane Potential; Human Physiology; Special Property; Biological Membrane; Rectification Action
Abstract:
Precipitation membranes, like biological membranes, are specifically impermeable to certain ions. This property can easily be removed (deconditioning of the membrane) and restored again (reconditioning). The assumption is that special properties of the membrane are due to ion charges, adsorbed on precipitate layers. In this paper we study the deconditioning of the BaSO4 precipitation membrane by an imposed electrical field. To achieve this electrical deconditioning, a threshold potential across the membrane has to be surpassed during a certain minimum of time. If this is done, the membrane potential of the conditioned precipitation membrane is lowered to the sum of the liquid junction potentials in the system in absence of an ion barrier. The rectification action of the membrane is lost, too. After switching off the imposed field, a spontaneous reconditioning takes place. The readjustment of both the membrane potential and the rectifying properties were followed. The first phase of reconditioning is obviously diffusion-controlled. All the results reported confirm the assumption stated above. The phenomena described can easily be explained as caused by the removal and the readjustment of adsorbed ions.
