Chapter 26, Problem 26.88PP

Cell membranes across a wide variety of organisms have a capacitance per unit area of 1 µF/cm². For the electrical signal in a nerve to propagate down the axon, the charge on the membrane “capacitor” must change. What time constant is required when the ion channels are open? (a) 1 µs; (b) 10 µs; (c) 100 µs; (d) 1 ms.