Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 259, Issue 6 15-S23, Copyright © 1990 by American Physiological Society
Membrane potential simulation program for IBM-PC-compatible equipment for physiology and biology students
P. H. Barry
School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
MEMPOT is an interactive graphic simulation program, written in Turbo C for
IBM-PC-compatible equipment and designed to teach students in the
physiological and biological sciences about the measurement and ion
dependence of cell membrane potentials. Different external salt solution
values can be chosen and an intracellular electrode can be moved on the
screen to impale one of a group of cells and measure resting or action
potential responses. A simulated voltage-to-frequency audio signal emulates
normal experimental audio monitoring of the electrode potential, and a
window displays a simulated oscilloscope trace (together with "electrical
noise") of the resting or action potential response. The average value of
each set of successful impalements is determined for each solution. Once
measurements have been made over a suitable range of different solutions,
the data can be reentered and plotted graphically on the screen and an
interactive approach can be used to determine relative sodium-to-potassium
permeabilities at rest or at the action-potential peak. A randomization
routine varies permeability ratios within a small range between runs.
