this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2023
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Explain Like I'm Five
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They don't donate electrons. When metallic sodium or potassium donate electrons they burn, explosively. It doesn't happen in our bodies. It happens by simple contact with water.
They are already in their ionic form in our body. They cross membranes as ions, creating a potential difference across the membranes. Allowing ions to diffuse along the gradient generates the electric signals of our brains, or triggers the muscle contraction, among other things
Ah, thanks for the clarification
So you're saying... they are the electrons. Woahhh.
They are positively charged so electrical signals are actually not created by long migrations of electrons, but by short diffusion of positive charges across membranes, that temporarily reverse local polarization. This depolarization triggers nearby regions to do the same, creating depolarization waves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depolarization
It's very fascinating, also because controlling the cross membrane diffusion of ions allows for controlling the signals. Which is what neurotransmitters do
I know man, I was just being silly. My first degree was in physiology and pharmacology so I'm very familiar with nerve signalling.