Extension 8.1 Ion channels and episodic disease

Teacher/Lecturer

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2009. © University of York Science Education Group. This sheet may have been altered from the original. 1 of 1

X8.01L

In this extension students read an article on the Internet about how faulty ion channels have been identified as the cause of a number of common complaints such as migraines and epilepsy. Answers Q1 Episodic attacks in otherwise healthy people. Q2 Irregular ion channels formed because of defects in channel genes – these would create problems in cell

communication. Q3 Yes, environmental factors (diet/stress/sunlight amongst others) may cause the faulty channel protein to

function incorrectly, triggering an attack.