Hippocampal Slices and Their Electrophysiogy in the Study of Brain Energy Metabolism

Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary in its 24th Edition (1965), describes the term “Electrophysiology” as “The Science of physiology in its relations to electricity; the study of the electric reactions of the body in health.” The ability of scientists to observe and record physiology’s electrical phenomena long preceded the understanding of the membranous ionic processes that are responsible for them. Consequently, for a while, electrophysiology has been considered a subfield of physiology, aiming at improving our understanding of cellular, organ and bodily functions. With the advances made in molecular biology, genetics and neuroscience, the role of electrophysiology has shifted, where today it is being employed as one of the best, most accurate and least expensive real-time monitoring tools in basic science research and clinical studies and practice alike.