Bioelektryczn

Bioelektryczn, or bioelectricity, describes electrical phenomena in living organisms. It includes the generation of membrane potentials, action potentials, synaptic signaling, and long-range electrical fields that coordinate cellular activities. The field integrates neuroscience, physiology, embryology, and bioengineering to understand how electrical signals regulate growth, function, and development.

Biological membranes maintain resting potentials through ion gradients and selective channels. The sodium–potassium pump and calcium handling establish gradients across the plasma membrane, enabling rapid changes in voltage. When thresholds are reached, excitable cells such as neurons and muscle fibers generate action potentials, propagating signals via ion fluxes through voltage-gated channels and, in many tissues, gap junctions that permit direct electrical coupling.

Bioelectric signals influence a wide range of processes beyond neural communication. They guide embryonic patterning, tissue regeneration, wound healing, and directional cell migration (galvanotaxis). Electric fields can modulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis, illustrating that bioelectric cues are as fundamental as chemical signals in development and repair.

Methods to study bioelectricity include electrophysiology (patch clamp, intracellular recordings), electroencephalography and ECG, and optical approaches such as voltage-sensitive dyes and genetically encoded sensors. Applications span neuroprosthetics, cardiac therapies, and the emerging field of bioelectronic medicine, which uses electrical signals to diagnose or treat disease. Ongoing research seeks to translate foundational principles into medical and engineering innovations while addressing safety and ethical considerations.