1939/05/20 by Kenneth S. Cole, A. L. Hodgkin · 3 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Neuroscience · Chemistry · #Cephalopods and Marine Biology #Neuroscience and Neural Engineering #Squid giant axon #Squid #Electrode #Axon #Protoplasm #Materials science #Membrane #Anatomy #Biophysics #Chemistry #Biology #Cytoplasm #Ecology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1085/jgp.22.5.671
openalex publication_date 1939/05/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
The direct current longitudinal resistance of the squid giant axon was measured as a function of the electrode separation. Large sea water electrodes were used and the inter-electrode length was immersed in oil. The slope of the resistance vs. separation curve is large for a small electrode separation, but becomes smaller and finally constant as the separation is increased. An analysis of the resistance vs. length curves gives the following results. The nerve membrane has a resistance of about 1000 ohm cm.(2) The protoplasm has a specific resistance of about 1.4 times that of sea water. The resistance of the connective tissue sheath outside the fiber corresponds to a layer of sea water about 20micro in thickness. The characteristic length for the axon is about 2.3 mm. in oil and 6.0 mm. in sea water.