| transnexus channel | A hexagonal 15-20A |
|---|---|
| ligand-gated channel | A class of ion channel's whose ionic permeability is regulated by cell membrane receptors that respond to specific extracellular chemical signals. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ligand gated ion channel | A transmembrane ion channel whose permeability is increased by the binding of a specific ligand, typically a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse. The permeability change is often drastic, such channels let through effectively no ions when shut, but allow passage at up to 10exp7 ions sexp 1 when a ligand is bound. Recently, the receptors for both acetylcholine and GABA have been found to share considerable sequence homology, implying that there may be a family of structurally related ligand gated ion channels. (18 Nov 1997) |