How does a gene mutation cause episodic paralysis?
But how does a mutation in an ion channel cause temporary muscle paralysis? Because ions are charged. The movement of ions from one side of the muscle membrane to the other causes an electric current. When ions are separated from each other, negative from positive, across a barrier – the muscle cell membrane for example – they produce a voltage. In this case ions are used for electrical signaling. For the muscles to work properly the ions must be kept in the correct ration inside and outside the cell. When the ion channels that control these exchanges are mutated they are prone to malfunction. In periodic paralysis the ion channels fail to regulate the flow of ions under certain conditions, and the electrical signals which keep the muscles moving come to a standstill.
But how does a mutation in an ion channel cause temporary muscle paralysis? Because ions are charged. The movement of ions from one side of the muscle membrane to the other causes an electric current. When ions are separated from each other, negative from positive, across a barrier – the muscle cell membrane for example – they produce a voltage. In this case ions are used for electrical signaling. For the muscles to work properly the ions must be kept in the correct ration inside and outside the cell. When the ion channels that control these exchanges are mutated they are prone to malfunction. In periodic paralysis the ion channels fail to regulate the flow of ions under certain conditions, and the electrical signals which keep the muscles moving come to a standstill.
