The Potassium Flux Ratio in Skeletal Muscle As a Test for Independent Ion Movement

The flux ratio of potassium ions was measured on frog sartorius muscle under conditions in which a substantial net potassium loss occurs. Muscle fiber membrane potentials were measured under identical conditions. The observed flux ratios were compared with values calculated from a theoretical relation derived on the assumptions that the unidirectional fluxes are both passive and occur independently. The results favor the conclusion that the potassium fluxes across skeletal muscle membrane occur along passive electrochemical gradients and obey the independence principle.