Bioelectrochemistry
Encyclopedia
Bioelectrochemistry is a branch of electrochemistry concerned with topics like cell electron-proton transport, cell membrane potential
s and electrode reactions of redox enzymes.
, are closely related to physiology through the works of Luigi Galvani
and then Alessandro Volta
.
The first modern work in this field is considered that of the German physiologist Julius Bernstein
(1902) concerning the source of biopotentials due to different ion concentration through the cell's membrane.
The domain of biolectrochemistry has grown considerably over the past century, maintaining the close connexions to various medical disciplines. The achievements in this field have been awarded several Nobel prizes for Physiology or Medicine.
Membrane potential
Membrane potential is the difference in electrical potential between the interior and exterior of a biological cell. All animal cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane composed of a lipid bilayer with a variety of types of proteins embedded in it...
s and electrode reactions of redox enzymes.
History
The beginnings of bioelectrochemistry , as well as those of electrochemistryElectrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor , and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.If a chemical reaction is...
, are closely related to physiology through the works of Luigi Galvani
Luigi Galvani
Luigi Aloisio Galvani was an Italian physician and physicist who lived and died in Bologna. In 1791, he discovered that the muscles of dead frogs legs twitched when struck by a spark...
and then Alessandro Volta
Alessandro Volta
Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta was a Lombard physicist known especially for the invention of the battery in 1800.-Early life and works:...
.
The first modern work in this field is considered that of the German physiologist Julius Bernstein
Julius Bernstein
Julius Bernstein was a German physiologist who was born in Berlin. He studied medicine at the University of Breslau under Rudolf Heidenhain, and at the University of Berlin under Emil Du Bois-Reymond...
(1902) concerning the source of biopotentials due to different ion concentration through the cell's membrane.
The domain of biolectrochemistry has grown considerably over the past century, maintaining the close connexions to various medical disciplines. The achievements in this field have been awarded several Nobel prizes for Physiology or Medicine.