elektrophysiologischen

Electrophysiology is the branch of physiology that studies the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. The German adjective elektrophysiologisch (elektrophysiologischen in inflected forms) is used to describe phenomena, measurements, and techniques related to this field.

Core concepts in electrophysiology include resting membrane potential, action potentials, ion channels, and ionic currents across cell membranes. Electrical signals underlie neural communication and muscle contraction, and they are shaped by ion gradients, channel gating, and cellular geometry.

Techniques in electrophysiology range from direct electrical recordings to noninvasive sensing. Intracellular and extracellular microelectrode recordings measure voltage changes inside or around cells. The patch-clamp technique enables investigation of single-channel and whole-cell conductances. Voltage-clamp and current-clamp configurations study ion channel behavior and membrane responses. Noninvasive approaches record field potentials, such as electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electromyography (EMG), and electrocardiography (ECG). In vitro and in vivo studies span isolated cells, tissue preparations, and behaving animals.

Applications of electrophysiology span neuroscience and cardiology, including basic research into synaptic transmission and neural circuits, diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias, drug development and safety assessment, and clinical neurophysiology.

History of the field includes foundational work on nerve conduction and membrane physiology, the Hodgkin–Huxley model of the action potential, the development of the patch-clamp technique, and the invention of the ECG by Willem Einthoven. The term elektrophysiologisch appears in German-language literature to denote related methods and findings.