TY - GEN
T1 - Slow going - active and passive transport in axons
AU - Galbraith, J. A.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Material can be moved throughout a cell in a variety of ways. The simplest manner is diffusion that relies upon a concentration gradient, but needs no external energy source. While efficient for short distances, this technique is not adequate for nerve cells where the axonal processes are quite long and material is synthesized only in the cell body. In this case an energy dependent system is used to actively supply material independent of concentration. In axons, diffusion has been augmented by slow transport which moves cytoskeletal proteins and soluble enzymes at rates of approximately 1 μm/min. Little is known about the mechanisms of slow transport and although culture systems provide ready access to individual axons, the distances involved are often small enough that diffusion contributes a significant amount to the total supply of material. By using a larger isolated system that allows these competing transport effects to be separated we have been able to characterize them individually, and investigate their relative contributions along the axon.
AB - Material can be moved throughout a cell in a variety of ways. The simplest manner is diffusion that relies upon a concentration gradient, but needs no external energy source. While efficient for short distances, this technique is not adequate for nerve cells where the axonal processes are quite long and material is synthesized only in the cell body. In this case an energy dependent system is used to actively supply material independent of concentration. In axons, diffusion has been augmented by slow transport which moves cytoskeletal proteins and soluble enzymes at rates of approximately 1 μm/min. Little is known about the mechanisms of slow transport and although culture systems provide ready access to individual axons, the distances involved are often small enough that diffusion contributes a significant amount to the total supply of material. By using a larger isolated system that allows these competing transport effects to be separated we have been able to characterize them individually, and investigate their relative contributions along the axon.
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:0033331109
SN - 0780356756
T3 - Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology - Proceedings
SP - 401
BT - Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology - Proceedings
PB - IEEE
T2 - Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (1st Joint BMES / EMBS)
Y2 - 13 October 1999 through 16 October 1999
ER -