Explain Why the Surface Air on the Leeward Side of a Mountain

question 71

Essay

Explain why the surface air on the leeward side of a mountain can be drier than the surface air on the windward side. What is this effect called? Can you think of a location in the United States where this might actually occur?

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Definitions:

Patch Clamp Technique

A method that allows researchers to study the ion channels of a tiny patch of membrane by tightly sealing a micropipette to the patch and measuring the flow of ions through the channels.

Ion Channel

Protein structures embedded in cell membranes that allow ions to pass in and out of the cell, crucial for various physiological processes.

Impulse Conduction

The process by which electrical signals are transmitted along a neuron, from the dendrites, through the axon, to the synapse.

Myelinated Axons

Axons covered with myelin sheaths which increase the speed at which nerve impulses can travel.