What is the relationship between morality and divine command…
What is the relationship between morality and divine command theory?
What is the relationship between morality and divine command…
Questions
Whаt is the relаtiоnship between mоrаlity and divine cоmmand theory?
Twenty-yeаr-оld Kevin hаd just been diаgnоsed with acute appendicitis and was waiting tо be taken to the operating room (OR). Although he desperately wanted the pain to stop, Kevin was terrified of having general anesthesia. “Does that anesthesia stuff work all the time? How can I not wake up when someone's slicing my gut open?" In the OR, someone placed a mask over Kevin's face and when he blinked, he suddenly found himself in a hospital room. “So, it's over? How did I get here already?" You tell him, "You've been out for a few hours. Certain neurons have to depolarize and undergo an action potential to maintain consciousness, but some anesthetics can hyperpolarize them and produce unconsciousness. The anesthetic binds to and opens a certain kind of potassium channel, which increases the "leak" current of potassium. However, it doesn't affect the voltage-gated potassium channels. This inhibits the neurons, and therefore you aren't conscious of the surgeons performing the procedure. Amazing!" Questions: 1) What do the terms depolarize and hyperpolarize mean with reference to the membrane potential? 2) Anesthetics hyperpolarize neurons -- how does hyperpolarization make it more difficult for neurons to fire? 3) "The anesthetic... increases the leak current of potassium" -- how might anesthetics accomplish this? 4) Hyperkalemia is a condition characterized by increased extracellular potassium levels. Would such an individual be MORE or LESS affected by anesthetics? Explain your reasoning.