Oscillations and Chaos in the Pancreatic β-Cell

The voltage across the plasma membrane of the pancreatic 3-cell displays burst activity when glucose between ~8.5 mM and 16.5 mM is added to the perfusion medium (Dean and Mathews, 1970; Ribalet and Beigleman, 1979; Atwater et al., 1980). This consists of an active phase during which spikes are generated and a silent phase during which the membrane is hyperpolarized. In high glucose concentrations above 16.6 mM, the burst pattern disappears and spike activity becomes continuous. The active phase has been associated with the stimulus for the release of insulin (Meissner, 1976; Scott et al., 1981).