Stochastic Nonlinear Equations Describing the Mesoscopic Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

Figure 2

A symmetric double-well potential. The main idea is that one well is representing the open or “up” state of a typical voltage sensor and the other well is the closed or “down” state (“up” and “down” according to Figure 1). For our model, symmetry means the absence of a voltage-dependent force. Thus, this symmetry is broken (and possibly the existence of a double-well at all times) when an additive force is considered.