Lecture 1: In Vitro Electrophysiology Of The NS Flashcards
Why are electrophysiology rigs not usually on the top floor of a building?
Tops of buildings move in the wind, this throws the calibration off.
Why are hippocampal slices often used for electrophysiology?
The hippocampus has very clearly laid out cells and it is easier to get your bearings than in other brain areas.
Why is it important to measure the fibre volley in relation to the EPSP?
To ensure that plasticity is actually occurring, not just a change in stimulus.
Why is sodium chloride often put into the recording electrode? Why must precautions be taken with it?
It conducts really well. Must ensure it doesn’t leak out though as it can interfere with or kill the neuronal slice.
Where does a sharp electrode record from?
The inside of the cell.
For a cell-attached recording, why is positive pressure applied to the pipette whilst setting it up?
Positive pressure stops gunk entering pipette, the pipette can measure resistance, when resistance increases due to contact with the membrane, positive pressure released causing a slight suction so that the membrane is sucked into the pipette, enabling the pipette to clamp on.
In inside out recording, what happens when you retract the patch clamp slightly and expose it to air?
This causes the membrane to break and the desired membrane piece to stay in the clamp, often including an ion channel for study.
For whole cell recording, what causes the hole in the membrane within the pipette clamp?
Strong pulse of suction from within the pipette that makes a hole in the clamped part of membrane.
Is potential quoted as outside vs inside or inside vs outside?
Inside vs outside
Are extracellular or intracellular voltages recorded in microvolts or millivolts?
Extracellular - microvolts
Intracellular - millivolts
