Course detail

Bioelectric Phenomena

FEKT-ABEJAcad. year: 2012/2013

Physical interpretation of electric effects in living tissue constitutes a special area of biophysics. The subject ‚Bioelectric effects‘ offers to students of electrical engineerig a biophysical basis for understanding passive electric properties and active effects in living tissue, and provides infomation on currently available measurement methods.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. RNDr. Ing. Jiří Šimurda, CSc.

Department

Department of Biomedical Engineering (UBMI)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Understanding of electric transfer of information in living systems and of electrophysiological diagnostic methods resulting from the previous study of medical subjects will be developed with the knowledge of physical processes taking place in molecules and cells. Practical experience with measurement of electric effects in living objects.

Prerequisites

Knowledge at secondary school level and of completed subjects in the study area

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching methods depend on the type of course unit as specified in the article 7 of BUT Rules for Studies and Examinations.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Requirements for successful completion of the subject are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Course curriculum

Interpretation of electric effects in living tissue. Active electric effects in living tissue in molecules, cells and organs. Currently used methods of measurement in cells. Cellular basis of the origin of electrocardiographic and magnetocardiographic signals.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

To learn the students how to apply the knowledge acquired by previous study of physics and mathematics to understanding of electric effecs acting in living organisms

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

J. Šimurda: Bioelektrické jevy I, CERM Brno, 1995 (CS)
S. Silbernagl, A. Despopoulos: Atlas fyziologie člověka, GRADA Publishing a.s. 2004 (CS)
F. Bezanilla:Electrophysiology and the Molecular Basis of Excitability. (University of California at Los Angeles) Volně dostupné na adrese http://nerve.bsd.uchicago.edu/ (EN)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BTBIO-A Bachelor's

    branch A-BTB , 3. year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. RNDr. Ing. Jiří Šimurda, CSc.

Syllabus

1. The origin and functions of electric signals in living cells. Membrane voltage.
2. Action voltage and its physiological significance. Propagation of action voltage down cellular fibres.
3. Possibilities of obtaining electric contact with the cell interior. Methods of measurement of membrane voltage and membrane currents.
4. Physical principles of bioelectric effects. The model of the cell for interpretation of electric effects.
5. The physical interpretation of resting and action voltage.
6. The quantitative relationship between the overall ion membrane current and action voltage. The main components of ion membrane current and their characterisitcs.
7. Physical interpretation of propagation of excitation down cellular fibres. Biophysical description of electric effects by systems of differenetial euqations.
8. Interpretation of bioelectric effects on molecular level. The structure and functions of biological membrane.
9. Membrane channels: transitions between channel states (gating). Measurement of membrane electric currents on molecular level (the ‚patch clamp‘ method).
10. Carrier-mediated transport of ions across biological membranes. Interaction of substances with transport systems (the mechanisms of effects of some drugs and toxic substances).
11. Excitable cell as a source of electromagnetic field in the surrounding environment. Biophysical principles of electrophysiological diagnostic methods.
12. The electrocardiographic and magnetocardiographic signal as a consequence of action voltage propagation in the network of interconnected heart cells.
13. Excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells.

Laboratory exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Vratislav Čmiel, Ph.D.
Larisa Chmelíková, Ph.D.
Ing. Marie Nedvědová, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Measurement of electric properties of metal electrodes for recording of bioelectric signals
2. Preparation and measurement of the properties of glass microelectrodes.
3. Preparation of solutions for cellular electrophysiological measurement. Measurement of pH.
4. Measurement and analysis of ion membrane currents in excitable cells (simulation experiments).
5. Measurement of excitation threshold.
6. Measurement of electric impedance in living tissue.
7. Recording of contractions in isolated heart cells.
8. Excursion to the laboratory of cellular electrophysiology
9. Electric properties of cellular membranes (numerical exercises)
10. Measurement of membrane voltage and membrane currents (seminar with demonstration)
11. Molecular basis of bioelectric effects (inatractive software)
12. Propagation of electromagnetic field generated by heart (numerical exercises)
13. Electromechanical coupling (interactive software)