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Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework

Author(s)
de Lichtervelde, Aymar C. L.; de Souza, J. Pedro; Bazant, Martin Z
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Abstract
Early recordings of nervous conduction revealed a notable thermal signature associated with the electrical signal. The observed production and subsequent absorption of heat arise from physicochemical processes that occur at the cell membrane level during the conduction of the action potential. In particular, the reversible release of electrostatic energy stored as a difference of potential across the cell membrane appears as a simple yet consistent explanation for the heat production, as proposed in the “Condenser Theory.” However, the Condenser Theory has not been analyzed beyond the analogy between the cell membrane and a parallel-plate capacitor, i.e., a condenser, and cannot account for the magnitude of the heat signature. In this work, we use a detailed electrostatic model of the cell membrane to revisit the Condenser Theory. We derive expressions for free energy and entropy changes associated with the depolarization of the membrane by the action potential, which give a direct measure of the heat produced and absorbed by neurons. We show how the density of surface charges on both sides of the membrane impacts the energy changes. Finally, considering a typical action potential, we show that if the membrane holds a bias of surface charges, such that the internal side of the membrane is 0.05Cm^{−2} more negative than the external side, the size of the heat predicted by the model reaches the range of experimental values. Based on our study, we identify the release of electrostatic energy by the membrane as the primary mechanism of heat production and absorption by neurons during nervous conduction.
Date issued
2020-02
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/125464
Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics
Journal
Physical Review E
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Citation
de Lichtervelde, Aymar C. L., J. Pedro de Souza, and Martin Z. Bazant. "Heat of nervous conduction: A thermodynamic framework." Physical Review E, 101, 2 (February 2020), 022406. © 2020 American Physical Society
Version: Final published version
ISSN
2470-0045
2470-0053

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