Ion-selective Microelectrodes: Principles, Design And Application (advances In Experimental Medicine And Biology)

The microelectrode technique is today the most widely used method in electrophy siology. Microelectrodes offer a unique approach to measurements of electrical pa rameters and ion activities of single cells. Several important breakthroughs in trans port physiology have arisen from microelectrode studies. Undoubtedly, there is a progressively wide-spread use of conventional and ion-selective microelectrodes. Due to their particular dimension and properties micro electrodes are exclusive ly applied to measurements on living matter. This must have many consequences to my thoughts on experiments with microelectrodes. In this book, my concern is fo cussing on the description of an intracellular method that should lead to reliable in formation on cellular parameters. The methodical basis for any meaningful applica tion is treated extensively. However, technical perfection and accurate results are not the only concern when working on animals and human beings. Rather, my thoughts are governed by the intellectual and moral mastery of the experimental ap proach on living subjects. A measurement with microelectrodes usually necessitates the sacrifice of an ani mal. This is an immense fact, and means that the knowledge gained by the experi ment must justify the death of a living subject Front Matter....Pages I-XV Introduction....Pages 1-2 Classification of Ion-Selective Electrodes....Pages 3-8 Natural and Synthetic Neutral Carriers for Membrane Electrodes....Pages 9-41 Liquid Membrane Electrodes Based on Neutral Carriers....Pages 43-63 Potentiometric Measurements of Ion Activities with Neutral Carrier-Based Electrodes....Pages 65-96 Construction of Liquid Membrane Microelectrodes....Pages 97-118 Use of Neutral Carrier-Based Liquid Membrane Microelectrodes....Pages 119-152 General Aspects of Intracellular Measurements of Ions....Pages 153-193 Neutral Carrier-Based Liquid Membrane Microelectrodes....Pages 195-279 Impact of Neutral Carrier Microelectrodes....Pages 281-304 References....Pages 305-338 Back Matter....Pages 339-348