Understanding ion channel gating has been a goal of researchers since Hodgkin and Huxley's classic publication in 1952, but the gating mechanism has remained elusive. In this book, it is shown how electrons can control gating. Introducing the electron as a gating agent requires amplification, but until now there has been no appropriate mechanism for amplification.

The new approach to gating, based on the electron and quantum mechanics, elucidates mechanisms important to cellular function and signaling. A greater understanding of the quantum-mechanical mechanisms and the role of the...