White noise measurement of squid axon membrane impedance.

The use of white noise techniques for system identification is illustrated by the following characterization of the subthreshold membrane impedance of the squid giant axon, space-clamped in a double sucrose gap. Power spectra were also computed. Depolarization increases the resonance, shifts the resonant frequently upward and decreases the membrane's inductive reactance. Reduced external Ca⁺⁺ increases the resonance, shifts the resonant frequency downward and increases the inductive reactance.