Bioelectric Potential

• Bioelectric potential?

• Resting Potential?

• Polarized state of a cell?

• Action Potential?

• Depolarized state of a cell?

• Depolarisation & Repolarisation?

 Resting Potential
oan electrical charge across
othe plasma membrane,
owith the interior of the cell negative
owith respect to the exterior.
oThe size of the resting potential varies, but
oin excitable cells runs about
o-70 millivolts (mv).
Cell Na+/K+ Concentration http://www.uic.edu/classes/b
ios/bios100/lectures/nervous
.htm
Cell Na+/K+ Concentration
Potentials in a Cell
Resting Potential
(Polarised Cell)
Action Potential
(Depolarisation of Cell)
Action Potential
(Depolarisation of Cell)
Action Potential http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios
100/lectures/nervous.htm
Action Potential
Depolarisation
Depolarisation
Electrical Activity of Muscle
Bioelectric Signals
 Electrode Theory
•The voltage developed at
•a surface electrode - electrolyte interface
•is designated as the
•half cell potential or
•electrode potential.
•For a metal solution interface,
•an electrode potential results from
•the difference in rates between
•two opposing processes.
 Electrode Theory
•They are the passage of ions
•from the metal into the solution and
•the combination of
•metallic ions in solution with electrons in the metal.
•Therefore,
 Electrode Theory

•The equivalent impedance of

•the tissue electrode interface
•is expressed as
Electrode Theory
 Electrode Theory
•Another source of an electrode potential is

•the unequal exchange of ions

•across a membrane

•that is semi-permeable

•to a given ion

•when the membrane separates

•liquid solutions with

•different concentrations of those ions.

 Nernst Equation
•An equation relating the
•potential across the membrane and
•the two concentrations of the ion is called
•the Nernst equation and
•can be stated as follows:
 Needle Electrodes

• Needle electrodes:-
➢ Used to penetrate the skin

➢to record

➢the EEG potentials

➢EMG potentials of a group of muscles.

Needle Electrodes
Metal Plate Electrodes
Micro Electrode
Skin Surface Electrode
 Reference Electrode
•Hydrogen ion interface

•has been designated as reference interface.

•it was being assigned

•an electrode potential of zero volts.

•Hence the hydrogen electrode was used

•as the reference in biochemical measurements.

•In this electrode, an inert metal like platinum

•is partially immersed in the solution

•containing hydrogen ions and

•exposed to hydrogen gas

•passing through the electrode

•to generate an electrode potential.

•A lead wire is taken from the platinum electrode

 Reference Electrode
•The hydrogen electrode is

•not stable enough to act as reference electrode.

•Another difficulty is

•passing hydrogen gas through the electrode during use.

•So, it is applicable to

•special situations only.

•There are two types of electrodes

•which have sufficiently stable interface

•to act as reference electrodes.

•They are

•silver-silver chloride electrode and

•the calomel electrode

 Reference Electrode
oThe silver-silver chloride electrode interface is

oconnected to the

opotassium chloride (KCl) solution

oby an electrolyte bridge.

oThis filling solution has a

oliquid junction with sample solution.

oThe electrode can be employed as

oa reference electrode if

othe KCl solution is saturated

owith the precipitated silver chloride.

 Reference Electrode
oAnother popular reference electrode is

ocalomel electrode or

omercurous chloride electrode.

oThe interaction between

omercury and mercurous chloride

ogenerates the electrode potential.

Reference Electrode
 pH Electrode
1. a sensing part of electrode,
• a bulb made from a specific glass
2. internal electrode,
• usually silver chloride electrode or calomel electrode
3. internal solution,
• usually a pH=7 buffered solution of 0.1 mol/L KCl for pH electrodes
4. when using the silver chloride electrode,
• a small amount of AgCl can precipitate inside the glass electrode
5. reference electrode,
• usually the same type as 2
6. reference internal solution,
• usually 0.1 mol/L KCl
7. junction with studied solution,
• usually made from ceramics or
• capillary with asbestos or
• quartz fiber.
8. body of electrode,
• made from non-conductive glass or plastics.
pH Electrode
pH & Reference Electrodes
pH Electrode

Reference Electrode
Standard Hydrogen Electrode
1. platinized platinum electrode
2. hydrogen blow
3. solution of the acid with activity of H+ = 1 mol dm−3
4. hydroseal for prevention of the oxygen interference
5. reservoir through which the second half-element of
o the galvanic cell should be attached.
Standard Hydrogen Electrode