12 Membrane Transport

Questions
The Ion Concentrations Inside a Cell Are Very Different from Those Outside (Pages 372–373)

12–1 Easy, multiple choice

The most abundant intracellular cation is:
A. Na+.
B. Ca2+.
C. H+.
D. K+.
E. positively charged macromolecules.

CARRIER PROTEINS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS (Pages 373–385)

Solutes Cross Membranes by Passive or Active Transport (Page 375)

12–2 Easy, matching/fill in blanks

For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the correct word selected from the
list below. Use each word only once.
A. Carrier proteins and channel proteins can provide a ________ pathway through
the membrane for specific polar solutes or inorganic ions.
B. A substance is transported down its concentration gradient by ________ trans-
port.
C. A substance is transported up its concentration gradient by ________ transport.
D. ________ proteins can transport a substance down its concentration gradient
only.
E. ________ proteins are highly selective in the solutes they transport, binding the
solute at a specific site.

channel; hydrophilic; passive; hydrophobic; active; carrier.

12–3 Easy, multiple choice (Requires information from section on pages 372–373)
In a typical animal cell, which of the following types of transport occur through a channel pro-
tein?
A. Movement of amino acids into a cell.
B. Movement of Na+ out of a cell.
C. Movement of Na+ into a cell.
D. Movement of glucose into a starved cell.
E. Movement of glucose out of a starved cell.

159
160 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

Electrical Forces as Well as Concentration Gradients Can Drive Passive Transport (Pages 375–377)

12–4 Easy, matching/fill in blanks

For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the correct word or phrase selected
from the list below. Use each word or phrase only once.
A. The net force driving a charged solute across a cell membrane is the ________
This is composed of two forces, one due to the ________ of the solute and the
other due to the ________ across the membrane, which is known as the
________.
B. In most circumstances the inside of the cell is ________ charged with respect to
the outside.
C. The membrane potential in most animal cells tends to prevent ________
charged ions from entering the cell by passive transport.
D. The membrane potential has no effect on the transport of ________ solutes.

concentration gradient; electrical potential difference; electrochemical gradient; membrane

potential; negatively; positively; uncharged.

12–5 Easy, multiple choice

The membrane potential of a typical animal cell favors the inward flux of:
A. water.
B. glucose.
C. Cl–.
D. ATP.
E. Ca2+.

Active Transport Moves Solutes Against Their Electrochemical Gradients (Pages 377–378)

12–6 Intermediate, short answer

Name the three main types of active transport.

12–7 Easy, multiple choice

The bacterial protein bacteriorhodopsin is an example of:
A. a light-driven pump.
B. a proton pump.
C. a passive transporter.
D. a coupled transporter.
E. a transmembrane protein.
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 161

Animal Cells Use the Energy of ATP Hydrolysis to Pump Out Na+ (Pages 378–379)

12–8 Intermediate, multiple choice

If the plasma membrane of animal cells was made permeable to Na+ and K+, the Na+-K+ pump
would:
A. be completely inhibited.
B. begin to pump Na+ in both directions.
C. begin synthesizing ATP instead of hydrolyzing it.
D. continue to pump ions and to hydrolyze ATP but the energy of hydrolysis
would be wasted, as it would generate heat rather than ion gradients.
E. continue to pump ions but would not hydrolyze ATP.

The Na+-K+ Pump Is Driven by the Transient Addition of a Phosphate Group (Pages 379–380)

12–9 Difficult, multiple choice + data interpretation

The Aeroschmidt weed contains an ATP-driven ion pump in its vacuolar membrane that
pumps potentially toxic heavy metal ions such as Zn2+ and Pb2+ into the vacuole. The pump
protein exists in a phosphorylated and an unphosphorylated form and works in a similar way
to the Na+-K+ pump of animal cells. To study its action, you incorporate the unphosphorylated
form of the protein into phospholipid vesicles containing K+ in their interiors. (You ensure that
all of the protein molecules are in the same orientation in the lipid bilayer.) When you add
Zn2+ and ATP to the solution outside such vesicles, you find that Zn2+ is pumped into the vesi-
cle lumen. You then expose vesicles containing the pump protein to the solutes shown in Table
Q12–9A and determine the phosphorylation state of the protein in each sample. You get the
results shown in Table Q12–9B.

Table Q12–9A
A B C D E F
Outside Zn2+ + ATP Zn2+ Zn2+ + ATP Zn2+ ATP ATP
Inside K+ K+ K+

Table Q12–9B
A B C D E F
Phosphorylated
protein present + – – – – ++
Unphosphorylated
protein present ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ –

What would you expect to happen if you treat vesicles as in lane F, but before determining the
phosphorylation state of the protein, you wash away the outside buffer and replace it with a
buffer containing only Zn2+?
A. Nothing will happen. (No Zn2+ will move into the vesicle; no K+ will move out
of the vesicle, the phosphorylation state of the protein will not change.)
B. No Zn2+ will move into the vesicle; no K+ will move out of the vesicle; the pro-
tein will become unphosphorylated.
C. A small amount of Zn2+ will move into the vesicle; no K+ will move out of the
vesicle; the phosphorylation state of the protein will not change.
162 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

D. A small amount of Zn2+ will move into the vesicle; no K+ will move out of the
vesicle; the protein will become unphosphorylated.
E. A small amount of Zn2+ will move into the vesicle; a small amount of K+ will
move out of the vesicle; the phosphorylation state of the protein will not
change.

Animal Cells Use the Na+ Gradient to Take Up Nutrients Actively (Pages 380–381)

12–10 Easy, short answer

Explain why Na+ is commonly used to drive the coupled inward transport of nutrients in ani-
mal cells.

12–11 Intermediate, multiple choice

Ouabain inhibits the active uptake of glucose into epithelial cells by:
A. binding to the glucose-Na+ symport.
B. opening K+ channels.
C. changing the pH of the cell.
D. increasing the intracellular concentration of Na+.
E. depleting the cell of ATP.

The Na+-K+ Pump Helps Maintain the Osmotic Balance of Animal Cells (Pages 381–383)

12–12 Intermediate, multiple choice

Which of the following statements are true?
A. Amoebae have carrier proteins that actively pump water molecules from the
cytoplasm to the cell exterior.
B. Bacteria and animal cells rely on the Na+-K+ pump in the plasma membrane to
prevent lysis due to osmotic imbalances.
C. The Na+-K+ pump allows animal cells to thrive under conditions of very low
ionic strength.
D. The cell wall surrounding plant cells prevents osmosis.
E. The Na+-K+ pump helps to keep both Na+ and Cl– ions out of the cell.

Intracellular Ca2+ Concentrations Are Kept Low by Ca2+ Pumps (Pages 383–384)

12–13 Easy, multiple choice

Ca2+ pumps in the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum are important for:
A. maintaining osmotic balance.
B. preventing Ca2+ from altering the behavior of molecules in the cytosol.
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 163

C. providing enzymes in the endoplasmic reticulum with Ca2+ ions that are nec-
essary for their catalytic activity.
D. maintaining a negative membrane potential.
E. helping cells import K+.

12–14 Easy, multiple choice

The Ca2+ pumps in the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum are examples of:
A. ATP-driven pumps.
B. coupled transporters.
C. passive carrier proteins.
D. uniports.
E. symports.

H+ Gradients Are Used to Drive Membrane Transport in Plants, Fungi, and Bacteria (Pages 384–385)

12–15 Intermediate, multiple choice

Your first task as chief scientist at the Bubblehead Brewing Company is to purify an enzyme
involved in fermentation in yeast. You grow some yeast cells at pH 7, resuspend them in a pH 7
buffer that contains a relatively high concentration of salt (NaCl), and lyse the cells. To your
dismay, you find that the extract has no enzymatic activity. You measure the pH and discover
that is has dropped from 7 to 5. Which of the following is the most reasonable explanation for
the pH drop?
A. The high salt concentration indirectly inhibited H+ symport by inhibiting the
Na+-K+ pump in the plasma membrane.
B. The cells stopped metabolizing when they were transferred to the buffer, ATP
was depleted, and the H+ ATPase was unable to continue pumping protons.
C. Disruption of the plasma membrane released H+ ions from the cytoplasm.
D. Disruption of the vacuolar membrane released H+ ions from the vacuole.

ION CHANNELS AND THE MEMBRANE POTENTIAL (Pages 385–394)

Ion Channels Are Ion Selective and Gated (Pages 386–388)

12–16 Intermediate, multiple choice

Ion channels:
A. only open in response to a signal of some kind.
B. require input of energy in order to function.
C. have no limit to the rate at which they can transport ions.
D. can transport both negative and positive ions through the same channel.
E. allow passage of ions in both directions.
164 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

Ion Channels Randomly Snap Between Open and Closed States (Pages 388–390)

12–17 Easy, multiple choice

A gated ion channel:
A. stays continuously open when stimulated.
B. opens more frequently in response to a given stimulus.
C. opens more widely the stronger the stimulus.
D. remains closed if unstimulated.

12–18 Intermediate, data interpretation (A)

You have patch-clamped a single voltage-

gated ion channel in a membrane and pA
have obtained the recording shown in 0
Figure Q12–18A.
(A) If you set the membrane potential
equal to the threshold membrane poten-
tial this channel responds to, which of the (B)
recordings shown in Figure Q12–18B do (a)
you expect to observe? Explain why.
(B) What channel behavior does each of pA
0
the other recordings show?

(b)

pA
0

(c)

pA
0

(d)

pA
0

(e)

Q12–18
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 165

Voltage-gated Ion Channels Respond to the Membrane Potential (Pages 390–391)

12–19 Easy, matching/fill in blanks

For each of the following sentences, fill in the blank with the appropriate type of gated ion
channel. You can use the same channel more than once.
A. The acetylcholine receptor in skeletal muscle cells is a ________ ion channel.
B. ________ ion channels are found in the hair cells of the mammalian cochlea.
C. ________ ion channels in the mimosa plant propagate the leaf-closing
response.
D. ________ ion channels respond to changes in membrane potential.
E. Many receptors for neurotransmitters are ________ ion channels.

12–20 Intermediate/difficult, multiple choice + short answer

Which of the following statements are true? Explain your answer.
A. Voltage-gated channels are found only in nerve cells.
B. Voltage sensors are proteins that bind to voltage-gated ion channels and
switch them to either their open or closed conformation.
C. K+ leak channels are voltage-gated channels that help cells repolarize after an
action potential has passed.
D. Ligand-gated channels differ from voltage-gated channels in that the binding
of ligand opens the ligand-gated channel wider in addition to changing the fre-
quency with which the channel opens.
E. The value of the threshold membrane potential for a voltage-gated channel
depends on pH.

The Membrane Potential Is Governed by Membrane Permeability to Specific Ions (Pages 391–394)

12–21 Intermediate, multiple choice

The high intracellular concentration of K+ in a resting animal cell is partly due to:
A. the K+ leak channels in the plasma membrane.
B. the Na+-K+ pump in the plasma membrane.
C. voltage-gated K+ channels in the plasma membrane.
D. intracellular stores of K+ in the endoplasmic reticulum.
E. the membrane potential.
166 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

ION CHANNELS AND SIGNALNG IN NERVE CELLS (Pages 394–403)

Action Potentials Provide for Rapid Long-Distance Communication (Page 395)
Action Potentials Are Usually Mediated by Voltatge-gated Na+ Channels (Pages 395–397)

12–22 Easy, matching/fill in blanks

For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the correct word or phrase selected
from the list below. Use each word or phrase only once.
A. The action potential is a wave of ________ that rapidly spreads along the neu-
ronal plasma membrane. This wave is triggered by a local change in the mem-
brane potential to a value that is ________ negative than the resting membrane
potential.
B. The action potential is propagated by the opening of ________-gated channels.
C. During an action potential, the membrane potential changes from ________ to
________.
D. The action potential travels from the neuron’s ________ along the ________ to
the nerve terminals.
E. Neurons chiefly receive signals at their highly branched ________.

hyperpolarization; more; depolarization; anions; negative; positive; cell body; axon; pressure;
dendrites; neutral; less; cytoskeleton; ligand; voltage.

12–23 Easy, data interpretation +40

On the diagram of an action

potential in Figure Q12–23,
membrane potential (mV)

draw a dashed line showing

what would have happened to 0
ACTION
POTENTIAL
the membrane potential after
the initial depolarizing stimu-
lus if there had been no volt- depolarizing
stimulus
age-gated Na+ channels in the
threshold
membrane. –40 potential

resting membrane
–60
potential

0 1 2

time (ms)
Q12–23 STIMULUS

12–24 Intermediate, multiple choice

The action potential travels in one direction because:
A. the Na+-K+ pump restores the concentrations of Na+ and K+ to their original
levels.
B. the K+ leak channels allow K+ to flow out, restoring the membrane to the rest-
ing potential.
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 167

C. depolarization of the membrane causes voltage-gated K+ channels to open.

D. voltage-gated Na+ channels adopt a transitory inactive conformation after
being opened.
E. voltage-gated Na+ channels spend less time in the open conformation when
the membrane returns to the resting potential.

Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels Convert Electrical Signals into Chemical Signals at Nerve Terminals
(Pages 397–399)
Transmitter-gated Channels in Target Cells Convert Chemical Signals Back into Electrical Signals
(Pages 399–400)

12–25 Easy, matching/fill in blanks

For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the correct word or phrase selected
from the list below. Use each word or phrase only once.
A. Neurons communicate with each other through specialized sites called
________.
B. Many neurotransmitter receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that open
transiently in the ________ cell membrane in response to neurotransmitters
released by the ________ cell.
C. The ________ is a ligand-gated Cl– ion channel in the plasma membrane of
________ cells.
D. Ligand-gated ion channels in nerve cell membranes convert ________ signals
into ________ ones.
E. Neurotransmitter release is stimulated by the opening of voltage-gated
________ in the nerve terminal membrane.

postsynaptic; Na+ channels; chemical; K+ channels; acetylcholine receptor; presynaptic; elec-

trical; synapses; muscle; nerve; Ca2+ channels; GABA receptor.

12–26 Intermediate/difficult, multiple choice

You place two nerve cells, which have synaptic connections to each other and are normally
able to signal to each other, in a dish filled with a buffer containing H+, Na+, and Cl– as the only
inorganic ions. You stimulate the first neuron by applying a depolarizing voltage across the
membrane of one of the dendrites but find that the second neuron does not respond. Which of
the following is the most likely explanation for its lack of response?
A. An action potential can only be initiated by opening a ligand-gated channel.
B. Propagation of the action potential along the axon is prevented by the lack of
K+ in the buffer.
C. Neurotransmitter is not being released into the synaptic cleft.
D. The axon membrane is unable to repolarize in this buffer.
E. Neurotransmitter is released but is unable to stimulate opening of the ligand-
gated channels in the second neuron.
168 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

Neurons Receive Both Excitatory and Inhibitory Inputs (Pages 400–401)

12–27 Intermediate, multiple choice

Which of the following statements are true?
A. Excitatory neurotransmitters cause the membrane potential to become more
negative.
B. The neurotransmitter GABA acts by making cells harder to depolarize.
C. Acetylcholine and glycine are excitatory neurotransmitters.
D. Inhibitory neurotransmitters act by stimulating the outflow of Cl– from the
cell.
E. Tranquilizers such as Valium work by inhibiting the action of neurotransmitter
receptors.

Synaptic Connections Enable You to Think, Act, and Remember (Pages 401–403)

12–28 Easy, multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using a chain of neurons and chemical synapses
rather than a direct connection between the site of stimulus and the site of response?
A. Each chemical synapse represents an opportunity for the organism to modify
the signal being sent.
B. Diffusion of small molecules is more rapid than propagation of an electric sig-
nal; thus the signal is speeded up by having more synapses.
C. Use of chemical synapses increases the variety of messages the presynaptic cell
can send to the postsynaptic cell.
D. Modification of different ion channels at synapses can be used to generate
memory on the cellular level.
E. Chemical synapses allow neurons to receive and integrate input from more
than one source.
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 169

Answers
A12–1. D.

A12–2. A. Carrier proteins and channel proteins can provide a hydrophilic pathway through the mem-
brane for specific polar solutes or inorganic ions.
B. A substance is transported down its concentration gradient by passive transport
C. A substance is transported up its concentration gradient by active transport.
D. Channel proteins can transport a substance down its concentration gradient only.
E. Carrier proteins are highly selective in the solutes they transport, binding the solute at a spe-
cific site.

A12–3. C. Movement of Na+ out of cells requires an input of energy and therefore does not occur pas-
sively through a channel. Amino acid and glucose transport occurs through carrier proteins,
not channels.

A12–4. A. The net force driving a charged solute across a cell membrane is the electrochemical gradi-
ent. This is composed of two forces, one due to the concentration gradient of the solute and
the other due to the electrical potential difference (voltage) across the membrane, which is
known as the membrane potential.
B. In most circumstances the inside of the cell is negatively charged with respect to the out-
side.
C. The membrane potential in most animal cells tends to prevent negatively charged ions from
entering the cell by passive transport.
D. The membrane potential has no effect on the transport of uncharged solutes.

A12–5. E. The membrane potential is negative and therefore favors the inward flux of positive ions
only. Uncharged molecules like water and glucose are not affected by the membrane potential.

A12–6. 1, ATP-driven transport. 2, coupled transport. 3, light-driven transport.

A12–7. A, B, and E.

A12–8. D. If the membrane became permeable to Na+ and K+, the concentrations of these ions would
tend to become equal on both sides of the membrane. The pump would still be able to func-
tion (i.e., it would still hydrolyze ATP and pump K+ in and Na+ out), but the transported ions
would then move back down their concentration gradients, releasing heat in the process.

A12–9. D. If the pump is mechanistically similar to the Na+-K+ pump, then the transport of ions is dri-
ven by ATP hydrolysis, the pump is transiently phosphorylated, phosphorylation is stimulated
by one ion and dephosphorylation is stimulated by the other ion. Since all of the protein is in
the phosphorylated form in the absence of Zn2+ (lane F), Zn2+ is probably required for dephos-
phorylation. K+, then, probably binds to the dephosphorylated form and stimulates the
ATPase/autophosphorylation. So, if Zn2+ is added to the phosphorylated pump, Zn2+ will stim-
ulate dephosphorylation, trigger a conformational change, and be injected into the vesicle. K+
will stimulate the kinase activity of the pump, but since there is no ATP to be hydrolyzed in the
interior of the vesicle, no phosphorylation and hence no movement of K+ will occur.

A12–10. Na+ is commonly used to drive coupled transport in animal cells because a steep concentra-
tion gradient of Na+ (high outside and low inside) is maintained by the Na+-K+ pump. Na+
readily flows back into the cell down this gradient because of the negative membrane poten-
170 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

tial. The energy provided by the flow of Na+ down this steep electrochemical gradient can be
harnessed by coupled transporters.

A12–11. D. Ouabain inhibits the Na+-K+ pump and therefore leads to an increase in the intracellular
concentration of Na+, which is continually leaking into the cell. Uptake of glucose into epithe-
lial cells occurs via an Na+-glucose symport, which uses the Na+ gradient to drive movement of
glucose into the cell.

A12–12. E. The Na+-K+ pump keeps Na+ out directly by pumping it out and keeps Cl– out indirectly by
helping to maintain the negative membrane potential. Cells do not have pumps for moving
water molecules across the membrane (A), since the lipid bilayer is permeable to water.
Bacteria do not have Na+-K+ pumps in their plasma membranes (B). The Na+-K+ pump cannot
directly remove water molecules from the cell; it helps maintain osmotic balance by pumping
out the Na+ that leaks in, which would not help if the cell is in a solution of very low ionic
strength (C). The plant cell wall is permeable to water and therefore cannot prevent osmosis
(D).

A12–13. B. The major purpose of the Ca2+ pumps is to keep the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ low.
When Ca2+ does move into the cytosol, it alters the behavior of many proteins; hence Ca2+ is a
powerful signaling molecule. It is not involved in the catalytic activity of ER enzymes (C). Since
the levels of Ca2+ are very low relative to the levels of K+ and Na+, the Ca2+ gradient does not
have a significant effect on the osmotic balance of the cell (A) or the membrane potential (D).
It is not involved in K+ import (E).

A12–14. A and D.

A12–15. D. Yeast do not have a Na+-K+ pump in the plasma membrane. The H+ ATPase in the plasma
membrane pumps H+ ions out of the cell; hence, inhibition of the pump would—if anything—
lead to an increase in the pH (and lysis of the cells afterwards would ultimately release these
ions back into the buffer). The plasma membrane H+ ATPase causes the cytoplasm of yeast
cells to be alkaline relative to the medium that they are growing in, so lysis of the plasma mem-
brane alone would not cause the pH of the buffer to drop. However, the vacuole contains a
high concentration of H+ ions as a result of the action of the vacuolar membrane H+ ATPase;
these are sequestered from the buffer and the growth medium until the cells are lysed.

A12–16. E. Ions can pass either way through a channel; the direction in which flow takes place depends
on the concentration gradient and the membrane potential. Some ion channels require a spe-
cific stimulus to open them; others, such as K+ leak channels, do not (A). Ion channels are pas-
sive transporters and therefore require no energy source in order to function (B). Ion channels
are very fast relative to carrier proteins but are limited by the rate at which ions can move
through the channel (C). An ion channel allows specific positive or negative ions to pass, but
not both (D).

A12–17. B.

A12–18. (A) Recording (a). It shows a channel that is spending more time in the open conformation, as
one would expect for a voltage-gated channel that has been subjected to its threshold mem-
brane potential. (B). Recording (b) shows a channel where the ion flow is reversed compared to
recording (a). Recording (c) shows a channel that is closed all of the time. Recording (d) shows
a channel that is allowing twice as much current to pass through as the original channel. This
must be a different channel, as a given channel cannot let more current through by opening
more widely. Recording (e) shows a channel that is open all of the time.
Chapter 12: Membrane Transport 171

A12–19. A. The acetylcholine receptor in skeletal muscle cells is a ligand-gated ion channel.
B. Stress-activated ion channels are found in the hair cells of the mammalian cochlea.
C. Voltage-gated ion channels in the mimosa plant propagate the leaf-closing response.
D. Voltage-gated ion channels respond to changes in membrane potential.
E. Many receptors for neurotransmitters are ligand-gated ion channels.

A12–20. E. The threshold membrane potential at which a voltage-gated channel changes conformation
depends on the charged residues in the voltage sensor domain. Since the charge on an amino
acid side chain depends on the pH of the surroundings, the threshold potential must also be
sensitive to pH. Voltage-gated channels are found in a number of different types of cells,
including plant cells (A). Voltage sensors are special voltage-sensitive domains of voltage-gated
channels (B). K+ leak channels are not voltage-gated (C). The width of ligand-gated channels is
not affected by ligand binding (D).

A12–21. B and E. The Na+-K+ pump continually transports K+ into the cell. The negative membrane
potential also helps to retain K+ in the cell. The K+ leak channels allow K+ to move both into
and out of the cell and so do not contribute to the accumulation of K+ in the cell.

A12–22. A. The action potential is a wave of depolarization that rapidly spreads along the neuronal
plasma membrane. This wave is triggered by a local change in the membrane potential to a
value that is less negative than the resting membrane potential.
B. The action potential is propagated by the opening of voltage-gated channels.
C. During an action potential, the membrane potential changes from negative to positive.
D. The action potential travels from the neuron’s cell body along the axon to the nerve termi-
nals.
E. Neurons chiefly receive signals at the highly branched dendrites.

A12–23. Figure A12–23. +40

membrane potential (mV)

ACTION
0
POTENTIAL

depolarizing
stimulus
threshold
–40 potential

resting membrane
–60
potential

0 1 2

time (ms)
STIMULUS
A12–23

A12–24. D. The temporary inactive conformation of the voltage-gated Na+ channels prevents the action
potential from moving back toward previously stimulated patches of the membrane, as well as
causing these portions of the membrane to be temporarily refractory to a new action potential.
Statements A–C, and E explain how the membrane returns to the resting potential after the
action potential has passed.
172 Essential Cell Biology Test Bank

A12–25. A. Neurons communicate with each other through specialized sites called synapses.
B. Many neurotransmitter receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that open transiently in the
postsynaptic cell membrane in response to neurotransmitters released by the presynaptic cell.
C. The GABA receptor is a ligand-gated Cl– ion channel in the plasma membrane of nerve cells.
D. Ligand-gated ion channels in nerve cell membranes convert chemical signals into electrical
ones.
E. Neurotransmitter release is stimulated by the opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the
nerve terminal membrane.

A12–26. C. Since there is no Ca2+ in the buffer, when the action potential reaches the synapse and caus-
es Ca2+ channels to open, no Ca2+ will flow in, and neurotransmitter will not be released.
Ligand-gated channels trigger the action potential by causing a temporary depolarization of
the membrane; therefore applying a depolarizing voltage across the membrane will also trigger
an action potential (A). Na+ in the buffer (not K+) is required for propagation of the action
potential (B). Repolarization is due to leakage of K+ out of cells and should therefore occur
under the described conditions (D). (Also, repolarization is not necessary for the initial propa-
gation of the action potential along the axon.) E is not impossible, but unlikely.

A12–27. B. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and opens Cl– channels in the membrane, allowing
an inflow of Cl–, which makes cells harder to depolarize. Excitatory neurotransmitters cause
the membrane to become less negative, thereby making it easier for the membrane to be
depolarized to the threshold potential (A). Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter (C).
Inhibitory neurotransmitters that act by affecting Cl– ion movement tend to stimulate the
inflow of Cl–, not the outflow. (D). Valium acts by binding to GABA-gated Cl– channels, making
them easier to open (E).

A12–28. B. Diffusion of small molecules is slower than the movement of an electrical signal, and having
more synapses increases the total time it takes to deliver a message.