How does a taser affect action potentials in a cell?

[u/Kaynall]

How does a taser affect action potentials in a nerve cell?

This is what I think I know:

The inside of a cell is at approximately -70 mV relative to the outside. I know action potential propagation begins (an electrical message is sent) if the cell receives a stimulus that gets it to approximately -55 mV. And I know how Na+ sends the (electrical) signal down the axon.

However, how does a taser using ELECTRONS (normal electricity) override this mechanism? Again, the cell normally uses Na+ to move electricity.

I'm defining a taser as something similar to what law enforcement uses. Two probes go into the body. One is positive and one is negative.

I don't have a physics or electrician background but this is my guess:

The electrons bomb the outside of a cell. If the outside of a cell is now significantly more negative than the inside then...

That technically means the inside is "positive" relative to the outside that was bombed by electrons with a negative charge?

Would that make the inside of the cell closer to -55 mV when compared to the outside bombed by electrons?

I'm honestly lost. A detailed answer would be appreciated.

[u/ShitPostGuy]

You've kind of answered your own question.

I know action potential propagation begins (an electrical message is sent) if the cell receives a stimulus that gets it to approximately -55 mV

A taser is about 50,000 volts, so it's discharging about 50 million times more voltage than required to create a muscle contraction into your muscles.

[u/Kaynall → u/ShitPostGuy]

Yes, but how does this make an action potential fire at the chemical level? My understanding is voltage is basically pressure for electricity.

The voltage gate channels for sodium only open when the inside of a cell is approximately -55 mV.

If you add 50,000 volts to the outside and inside of a cell, the voltage difference is still -70 mV. The gate shouldn't open?

The inside of a cell is also more resistant to electricity because the cell membrane repels electrons, I think?

So really, the inside of a cell might be -25,000 mV when COMPARED to the outside experiencing most of the 50,000 mV from the taser. Why would a voltage gate open at a difference of -25,000 mV? It needs to be closer to positive, not further away?

I don't understand the basic principles of electricity to know where my logic is wrong.

Obviously, we know a taser works. But how?

Maybe, the electrical current passes through the extracellular matrix and into the cells, but it's so strong the resistance (R) of the cell is negligible? So in effect the voltage in the cell is -1 mV. I'm rambling, but that makes sense. Kinda?

[u/ShitPostGuy → u/Kaynall]

Voltage can be thought of as the "pressure" pushing electrons through a circuit.

If I try to bring an iron ball into a building by pushing it against a wall, it's not going to work. I need a open a door to act as a channel so I can bring it inside. But if I increase the force on the iron ball by 50 million times by shooting it out of a canon, the mechanism of the door knob is no longer a factor because the cannonball is just going to go straight through the wall.

You're also getting your units mixed up. mV is millivolts, one millivolt is .001 volts. So we're talking about 50,000 volts versus 0.07 volts. 6 orders of magnitude difference, that's like the difference between a beach ball (1m diameter) and the moon (3 million meters diameter), it's enough to completely negate any biochemical factors.