Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c913IR // #c913Synthesis

Real calcium signals fade fast, in a fraction of a second. When a signal lingers for seconds, you're probably watching the sensor slowly let go, not the cell. The authors' test: measure the fade at a few known sensor amounts, then work backward to what it would be with none.

— In our words · Source: An Inconvenient Truth: Calcium Sensors Are Calcium Buffers (Shane M. McMahon & Meyer B. Jackson)

[Use when]

When a recording looks smooth and slow. Ask whether the cell is slow or the sensor is.

[Why it matters]

A practical check anyone reading a study can use: compare how long the signal lasts with how long the real thing should last. Seconds where there should be a fraction of a second is a red flag.

More from An Inconvenient Truth: Calcium Sensors Are Calcium Buffers

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