Welcome

SSPH011 Class of 2021

BIOPHYSICS
Bioelectricity
MA Letsoalo
0829358999
molamo.letsoalo@ul.ac.za
Maila MT 202016280 0715855552
Ramaila E 202054001 071 389 7680
Ions
Electric force
• Like charges repel
• Unlike charges attract
Electric potential
•The electrical potential is defined as the
capability of the charged body to do work.
Electric potential difference
• Electric potential difference, also known as voltage, is the external
work needed to bring a charge from one location to another location.
Electric potential difference is the change of potential energy
experienced by a test charge that has a value of
Electricity
• Electricity is everywhere, even in the human body. Our cells are
specialized to conduct electrical currents. Electricity is required for
the nervous system to send signals throughout the body and to the
brain, making it possible for us to move, think and feel.
• The elements in our bodies, like sodium, potassium, calcium, and
magnesium, have a specific electrical charge. Almost all of our cells
can use these charged elements, called ions, to generate electricity.
Bioelectricity
• Bioelectricity refers to the flow of electrical currents, generated
by living tissues, carried by mobile charged ions, across cell
membranes and along the exterior and interior ionic environment of
cells.
Bioelectricity
• The contents of the cell are protected from the outside environment by a
cell membrane. This cell membrane is made up of lipids that create a
barrier that only certain substances can cross to reach the cell interior.
• Not only does the cell membrane function as a barrier to molecules, it also
acts as a way for the cell to generate electrical currents. Resting cells are
negatively charged on the inside, while the outside environment is more
positively charged.
• This is due to a slight imbalance between positive and negative ions inside
and outside the cell. Cells can achieve this charge separation by allowing
charged ions to flow in and out through the membrane. The flow of
charges across the cell membrane is what generates electrical currents.
Bioelectricity (body electricity)
• The human body—including the brain—runs on
bioelectricity: the movements of mostly positively
charged ions of elements like potassium, sodium,
calcium. This is how all signals travel within and
between the brain and every organ and agent of
perception, motion, and cognition.
It’s fundamental to our ability to think and talk and walk.
• Bioelectric currents are generated by a number of different biological
processes, and are used by cells to conduct impulses along nerve
fibbers, to regulate tissue and organ functions, and to govern
metabolism.
• Bioelectrical currents (and potentials) of human tissue, recorded
from the skin surface by electrocardiograph (E.C.G.),
electroencephalograph (E.E.G.), electromyography (E.M.G.) and
similar sensitive devices, are widely used in medicine to diagnose the
condition of various vital organs.
• The most important difference between bioelectric current flow in
the living organisms and the type of electrical current used to
produce light, heat, or power is that bioelectrical current is a flow of
ions (atoms or molecules carrying an electric charge), while standard
electricity is a movement of electrons.
• Bioelectricity
Nerve tissues (collections of cells of the same type) and muscle
tissues generate some electrical current
• Electrical impulses travel along nerve cells, called neurons
• Contractions of the muscle that makes up the heart are generated by
waves of bioelectricity
• A disruption in electrical currents can lead to illness. For example, in
order for the heart to pump, cells must generate electrical currents
that allow the heart muscle to contract at the right time.
Muscle tissue
Skin Bioelectricity
• The normal (intact; healthy) skin has a bioelectrical activity, which is in
constant, slight variation, and can be measured and charted. The skin's
bioelectrical conductivity fluctuates based on certain bodily conditions
such as hydration, emotions, stress and disease.

• The epidermal membrane (the external layer of the skin) behaves as if it

has a charge; +ve) which pass through it and lefixed negative charge. It is
permeable to Cations (ions with positive ave an excess of Anions (ions with
negative charge; -ve) in the electrolyte external to the surface. A potential
difference appears across the membrane; the outer skin surface appearing
negative (-) and the inner soft tissues positive (+)
Skin cells, which generate an electric field when injured, amplifying the
natural wound current with electrical stimulation prevented them all
from getting worse, and even healed some of the worst ones
completely.
Electrical stimulation almost doubles wound healing including the non-
healing diabetic wounds—the kind that lead to the amputation of
limbs, which usually leads within a few years to death.
technology
• bioelectric wound dressings—polyester or other substrates
impregnated with silver and other biologically active agents that are
activated by the “wound fluid” and amplify the natural wound
current. Future versions may carry a more powerful charge.
• Newly developed a wearable nanogenerator that could be slipped
into the bandage design to generate the augmenting electric field
from everyday movements of the wearer.
• wound healing electrical therapy and tissue regeneration
The future of bioelectricity
• A recent study found that the extensive use of bioelectricity in health
services is still too novel but developing fast
Nano medicine
Let us step back a little bid
Biophysics: the science of the application of the laws of Physics to
biological phenomena. Physics is the scientific study of matter , and
energy and how they interact with each other.
Matter: how Big? How small?
•South Africa and Lesotho
•South Africa and the sun
•Virus and a red blood cell?
•Tissue and cell
•Molecule and the atom
http://www.nisenet.org/catalog
How small is nano small?
 How small is nano small?

1.The nanometer is extremely small.

2.At the nanometer scale, materials may
behave differently.
3.We can harness this new behavior to make
new technologies.
Smallness Leads to New Properties

Reactivity
Melting point Bulk Gold
Bulk Aluminum
Strength
Conductivity
Color
Nano Aluminum
Nano Gold

http://www.carterrecycling.com/myimages/aluminum_cans.jpg http://healthewoman.org/2008/11/11/how-healthy-is-your-workplace/
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/nanolab/gold/images/goldp6.jpg http://texasenterprise.org/article/warren-buffet-and-new-calculus-gold
 What is Nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology involves manipulating

matter at unprecedentedly small scales to
create new or improved products that can
be used in a wide variety of ways.

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/pdf/c07.pdf
Have you heard about Nano Fabric and nano
paint?

water
air

nano-roughened surface

http://www.nisenet.org/catalog
An Interdisciplinary Endeavor

Chemistry Biology Physics Engineering

Nanoscience
& Nanotechnology

Medicine Materials Science

Biotechnology Information Technology

Nanoparticles

• nanorobots
• Nanodots
• Nanoshells
• Nanowires
• nanotubes
Nanomedicine
• Nanotechnology applied medically
• New breakthroughs in medicine
• Drug delivery: magnetic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes
• Disease detection: nano quantum dots
• Cancer and virus detection: Gold nanoparticles & nanodots, carbon
nanotubes, silicon nanowires
• Imaging techniques Quantum dots
• Gene manipulation Nanowires
• Tissue regeneration: carbon nanotubes
 Why Nanomedicine?
Virus Seeking Probes
• Nanotechnology offers great
advancements to medicine
• There is still a lot to be learned about
the human body and nanotechnology
offers a lot of help.

Artery Cleaner

Source: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/15jan_nano.htm

Nano-Robots Replacing Neurons

Source: http://www.e-spaces.com/Portfolio/trans/blood/index.html
Source: http://foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Gallery/index.html
nanorobots

• Devices smaller than 50 nm can easily enter most cells

• Devices smaller than 20 nm can transit out of blood vessels
• Devices are capable of holding thousands of small molecules
nanorobots
Nanobots serve as miniature surgeons which can be
used to repair damaged cells or entirely replace
intracellular structures. Moreover, they can replicate
themselves to correct a genetic deficiency or replace
DNA molecule to eradicate disease.

The nanobots travelled through the bloodstream,

targeted the blood vessels around cancerous
tumours, and released blood clotting drugs to cut off
the blood supply to the tumours.
nanorobots
nanoshell
Quantum dot
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
Carbon nanotubes have such a high surface area and they
go into the cell by the millions, you can have a very high
efficiency of delivery to a specific cell."

Carbon nanotubes are nearly completely inert to the cell. You

can get tens of millions of them inside the cell before there's
any real impact on the cell, and that means you can deliver a
huge amount of a drug and it doesn't really disrupt the cells."