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Electrophysiology

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Paramecium

Abstract

Bioelectricity is a characteristic of living matter. It occurs in conjunction with the existence of lipid bilayers or “membranes” which enclose cells and some intracellular organelles. A membrane potential, i.e. the difference in voltage between the external and internal faces of the membrane, results from an uneven ion distribution at both sides of the membrane. This applies in particular to Ca2+ which is kept at concentrations near 10−7 M in living cells. Because of the low intracellular concentration of Ca2+, a minor entry of Ca2+ modifies the number of free cytosolic Ca ions so that this cation can serve as a potent second messenger of the cell. Bioelectricity, cell membranes and the unique intracellular Ca milieu are closely interrelated in function and may have a common evolutionary origin.

In memoriam Roger Eckert (1934–1986)

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  1. Arbeitsgruppe Rezeptoren, Fakultät für Biologie, Ruhr-Universität, D-4630, Bochum, Germany

    Hans Machemer

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  1. Zoologisches Institut der Universität Münster, Schloßplatz 5, 4400, Münster, Germany

    Hans-Dieter Görtz

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Machemer, H. (1998). Electrophysiology. In: Görtz, HD. (eds) Paramecium. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73086-3_13

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