1. Patch clamp electrophysiology
Alexander van Aken

2. • NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF THE ACTION POTENTIAL
• ION CHANNELS
• PATCH CLAMP TECHNIQUE

3. Neuronal communication
electrical and chemical

4. The action potential
Changes in membrane potential are caused by ion channel activity

5. ION CHANNELS
GATED
SELECTIVE FOR IONS

6. Voltage gated sodium and potassium channels
generate the action potential

7. THE COMBINED ACTIVITY OF ION CHANNELS
GENERATES THE ACTION POTENTIAL

8. Hodgkin and Huxley experiments 1950’s

9. • How do we investigate the characteristics of
individual ion channels?
• How do we investigate the voltage
dependence of sodium and potassium
channels during the action potential?

10. Patch clamp electrophysiology

13. •How do we investigate the characteristics of individual ion channels?
Voltage clamping the membrane potential
4 pA
10 ms

14. Whole cell potassium currents at different membrane potentials

16. • Measuring currents at clamped potentials to
determine IV-relationships of either individual ion
channels or ion channel populations.
• The action potential is a temporary change in
membrane potential. This change is caused by the
activity of ion channels but..
• Voltage gated ion channel activity is regulated by the
membrane potential.
• The interaction between the microscopic level (ion
channels) and macroscopic level (membrane
potential) works in two directions, bottom up and
top down.