What is Electrophysiology?
'''Electrophysiology''' is the study of the [[Electricity|electrical]] [[:wikt:property|properties]] of biological [[cell (biology)|cells]] and [[Tissue (biological)|tissues]]. It [[:wikt:involve|involves]] measurements of [[voltage]] change or [[electrical current]] flow on a wide variety of scales from single [[ion channel]] [[protein]]s, to whole tissues like the [[heart]]. In [[neuroscience]], it includes measurements of the electrical activity of [[neuron]]s, and particularly [[action potential]] activity. == Definition and scope == === Classical electrophysiologic techniques === Classical electrophysiology involves placing electrodes into various preparations of biologic tissue. The principle types of electrodes are: 1) simple solid [[Electrical conductor|conductors]], such as discs and needles (singles or arrays), 2) tracings on a printed circuit boards, and 3) hollow tubes filled with an [[electrolyte]], such as glass [[pippette]]s. The principal preparations include 1) living organisms, 2) [[excised tissue]] (acute or cultured), 3) dissociated cells from excised tissue (acute or cultured), 4) artificially grown cells or tissues, or 5) [[hybrid]]s of the above. If an [[electrode]] is small enough in [[diameter]] (on the order of microns), then the electrophysiologist may choose to insert the tip into a single cell. Many particular electrophysiological readings have specific names: * [[Electrocardiography]] - for the [[heart]] * [[Electroencephalography]] - for the [[brain]] * [[Electrocorticography]] - from the [[cerebral cortex]] * [[Electromyography]] - for the [[muscle]]s * [[Electrooculography]] - for the [[eye]]s * [[Electroretinography]] - for the [[retina]] * [[Electroantennography]] - for the [[olfactory receptors]] in arthropods == Other websites == *[http://www.eplabdigest.com/eplab/ EP Lab Digest - Trade Publication for EP Professionals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060510115659/http://www.eplabdigest.com/eplab/ |date=2006-05-10 }} [[Category:Physiology]] [[Category:Medi