WS4: Nerve cells and the brain - how electrical signals are generated and how we measure neuronal activity

Just like in a computer, electrical signals are the basis for information processing in the brain and nervous system. Each individual nerve cell has a small battery, so to speak, which is charged by special ion transport proteins in the cell membrane. Other membrane proteins, known as ion channels, act like switches that turn currents on and off.

In the first part of this workshop, you will be able to measure for yourself how many volts the electrical voltage at a membrane is at concentrations of sodium and potassium ions, such as those present in nerve cells. In the second part, we will demonstrate in the laboratory how we make nerve cells visible with microscopes and measure their electrical signals with special measuring amplifiers.

Event type:
Workshop, registration required

Location:
Building 13, Room 341