Electrophysiology (from
Greek ,
elektron, "amber" [see the etymology of "electron"]; ,
physis, "nature, origin"; and ,
-logia) is the study of the electrical properties of biological
cells and tissues. It involves measurements of
voltage change or
electric current on a wide variety of scales from single
ion channel proteins to whole organs like the
heart. In
neuroscience, it includes measurements of the electrical activity of
neurons, and particularly
action potential activity. Recordings of large-scale electric signals from the
nervous system, such as
electroencephalography, may also be referred to as electrophysiological recordings.