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Patch clamp techniques
The introduction of the patch clamp technique has revolutionized the study of cellular physiology by providing a method of observing the function of individual ion channels in a variety of cell types. It permits high resolution recording of the ionic currents flowing through a cell’s plasma membrane.
The patch clamp technique has been invented by Sakmann and Neher in the 1976, for which they received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1991. This technique is based on a very simple idea. A micropipette with a very small opening is used to make tight contact with a small area, or patch, of cell membrane. After the application of a small amount of suction to the back of the pipette, the contact between pipette ...
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