A mechanism of action is the electron recharging of tissue. Tissues in the body actually possess an oxidation/reduction potential in which cells can be viewed as an electro-chemical gradient across a membrane much like a storage battery.35 Voltage is the force that pushes electrons through a circuit or across a membrane to produce a current or flow of electrons or ions. Electrons flow from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration until equilibrium is achieved. The potential difference of electrons outside (less concentration) the cell membrane with respect to the inside (greater concentration) is the potential difference or voltage. When the electrons move, the volume of flowing electrons is measured in amperes.
A capacitor stores electrons much like a tank stores water, releasing or storing when demand is present. An electronic capacitor usually consists of conducting plates or foils separated by thin layers of an insulating dielectric (as air or mica) with the plates on opposite sides of the dielectric layers oppositely charged by a source of voltage and the electrical energy of the charged system stored in the polarized dielectric.36
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Figure 1
An electronic capacitor consists of two conducting plates (c) separated by a nonconducting plate (b). The gap (a) determines the potential difference (voltage). |
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Figure 2
A cell membrane consists of lipid molecules with hydrophilic (electron conducting) carboxylic acid groups (c) and hydrophobic (electron insulating) hydrocarbon tail chains (b). The membrane thickness is the gap (c). The membrane acts as a dielectric to store electrons and transfers them to the cytoplasm upon demand.
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Figure 3
The circuit diagram at the left (Figure 3) consists of a resistor and a capacitor in parallel. When a load is incurred electrons bypass the capacitor and flow through the resistor to perform work. When there is no load the electrons flow to the capacitor for storage until a load is again incurred. Cell membranes are capacitors and micro-tubular cytoskeletons are the resistor; mitochondrial respiratory activities generate the demand (load).
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Anything that resists the flow of electrons from one place to another is called a “resistor” (in alternating current, it is called “impedance”). Anytime a current exists, there is a magnetic field ninety degrees from the current and flowing in the direction of the current.
The cell membrane is a capacitor connected to the peripheral cytoskeleton acting as a resistor, in parallel. This electronic circuit creates a constant flow of electrons into the cytoplasm. If there is an excess of electrons flowing down the pathway, the excess is stored in the capacitor. If there is a deficiency of electrons flowing, the capacitor provides some from its storage to keep the current constant. It should be noted that the extra cellular fluid and the cells are wired in series.
In electronic circuits, electrons will always attempt to flow from the area of highest voltage to the areas of lowest voltage. In an organ system composed of many cells, each cell will send electrons to any cell with a lower voltage as shown in the diagram above. Thus there will be a common voltage in any given organ within the ability of the electrons to flow as dictated by local impedance
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