Voltage-gatedion channelsare activated by changes in themembrane potentialnear the channel. These changes lead to an alteration of the channel conformation , regulating their opening and closing, to allow the flow of ions inside or outside the cell.

Voltage-gated ion channels are usually ion-specific, being thevoltage-gated sodiumand the电压门控钾最相关的their crucial role in signal transduction (action potential) in excitable cells like neurons or muscle tissue.