When the body temperature drops, this has the effect of reducing the potential across the axonal membrane slightly. At a body temperature of 30°C, the potential difference experimentally measured concentration of Na+ ions inside the lipid bilayer is 10^18 NA+ ions/cm^3.
a) Compute the concentration of Na+ ions outside the lipid bilayer using only physical principles.
b) If on the other hand the experimentally measured concentration of Na+ ions outside the lipid bilayer turns out to be 1,6x10^19 Na+ ions/cm^3 in healthy neutrons what can you conclude is happening from a physiological point of view?
c) What could physiologically explain why this value of 1,6x10^19 Na+ ions/cm^3 is not maintained in state of disease?
d) What are some clinical consequences to the individual of the failure to maintain this normal outside concentration?