Week 6 ELM 12: Electrophysiology

Vocabulary flashcards based on electrophysiology lecture notes.

Electrophysiology

The study of the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. Measure current between sample and surrounding medium. It can be used on organs, tissues, and cells.

EEG

Extracellular recording often done after sleep deprivation to trigger epileptiform activity.

Extracellular Recording

A method to measure electrical activity outside of the cell that is easy, but not very specific.

Intracellular Recording

A method to measure electrical activity inside of the cell that is hard, but specific.

Patch Clamp

An electrophysiological technique used to study ionic currents in individual cells.

Cell-Attached Recording

A patch-clamp configuration used to record currents through one or two active channels at the cell surface to study single-channel currents.

Inside-Out Recording

A method used to record currents through a single active channel away from the cell for looking at agents that modulate channels by working at its intracellular face.

Outside-Out Recording

A method used to record currents through a single active channel away from the cell for looking at agents that modulate channels by working at its extracellular face.

Whole-Cell Recording

A method used to record currents through active channels in the whole cell for looking at cell currents in response to drugs added from outside or regulation of channels by the cell.

Single Channel Currents

The electrical current that flows through a single ion channel protein.

Advantages of electrophysiology

Can measure events on a micro second time scale

Can measure activity of a single ion channel

Spatial resolution can be good

Can tell us how channels work