hypokalemia

[donaldduck]

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how does having low potassium cause the heart to stop beating?

 

[wolverinepwns]

Ventricular cell excitability is associated with the ability of sodium currents to generate an action potential upstroke. However, even in the presence of normal sodium currents, a cell will not generate an active response if it is unable to depolarize from the resting potential to the activation threshold, thats where potassium currents can act as important modulators of cell excitability. Also interstingly too much potassium can easily kill you! Its the third injection thats given for the death penalty to ensure the person is dead, haha just thought I should share that.

 

[Drexon]

Ventricular cell excitability is associated with the ability of sodium currents to generate an action potential upstroke. However, even in the presence of normal sodium currents, a cell will not generate an active response if it is unable to depolarize from the resting potential to the activation threshold, thats where potassium currents can act as important modulators of cell excitability. Also interstingly too much potassium can easily kill you! Its the third injection thats given for the death penalty to ensure the person is dead, haha just thought I should share that.

In other words:
Hypokalemia = low potassium outside of the cell. This changes the electrochemcial gradient for potassium by making more potassium flow out of the cell (remember potassium leak channels). So in hypokalemia conditions your cell will be at a lower threshold and thus you need a greater stimulus to activate the threshold potential for the cell to generate an action potential.

Interesting point about the lethal injection policy of potassium shots =)