Abstract
Memristors represent the fourth electrical circuit element complementing resistors, capacitors and inductors. Hallmarks of memristive behavior include pinched and frequency-dependent I–V hysteresis loops and most importantly a functional dependence of the magnetic flux passing through an ideal memristor on its electrical charge. Microtubules (MTs), cylindrical protein polymers composed of tubulin dimers are key components of the cytoskeleton. They have been shown to increase solution’s ionic conductance and re-orient in the presence of electric fields. It has been hypothesized that MTs also possess intrinsic capacitive and inductive properties, leading to transistor-like behavior. Here, we show a theoretical basis and experimental support for the assertion that MTs under specific circumstances behave consistently with the definition of a memristor. Their biophysical properties lead to pinched hysteretic current–voltage dependence as well a classic dependence of magnetic flux on electric charge. Based on the information about the structure of MTs we provide an estimate of their memristance. We discuss its significance for biology, especially neuroscience, and potential for nanotechnology applications.
Highlights
The term memristor is the contraction of memory and resistor and it was first proposed in 1971 as the fourth element of the electric circuits[1]
A memristor is defined as a two-terminal passive circuit element that provides a functional relation between electric charge and magnetic flux[1,2]
Memristance refers to a property of the memristor that is analogous to resistance but it depends on the history of applied voltage or injected current, unlike in other electrical circuit elements
Summary
The term memristor is the contraction of memory and resistor and it was first proposed in 1971 as the fourth element of the electric circuits[1]. The connection between memristors and neuronal synapses[17] can potentially shed light on the enigma of memory generation, erasure and retention in the human brain In this context, a molecular model of memory encoding has been based on phosphorylation of neuronal MTs by calcium calmodulin kinase enzyme (CaMKII)[18]. A molecular model of memory encoding has been based on phosphorylation of neuronal MTs by calcium calmodulin kinase enzyme (CaMKII)[18] This provides indirect indication that MTs may function as nano-scale sub-cellular memristors with an enormous potential for storage of large amounts of biologically-relevant information. It is unsurprising to find that the key components of this intricate subcellular architecture, namely MTs, are endowed with special electrical conduction properties
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