Methods in modern neuroscience Flashcards
What are sharp electrode recordings?
Record changes in membrane potential by injecting current into cells
What are the disadvantages of sharp electrode recordings?
no solution change inside or outside cell which means some electro injection is still possible
limited possibility for controlling membrane potential
cannot measure singular channels
What are the two different types of patch clamping?
pipette-based patch clamp
planar patch clamp
How is GFP used?
fusion of GFP and 2 calcium binding proteins forms a GFP based calcium indicator
in presence of calcium the 2 proteins interact, GFP becomes much brighter
when neurons are active and Ca is released it becomes brighter
What are the benefits of confocal microscopy?
rejects light coming not from the focal plane and decreases the area of excitation which increases spatial resolution
What are the problems associated with enhancer traps?
Does not allow for staining of individual neurons
cannot combine electrophysiology and morphology assessment for the same cell