Dictionary > Neurophysiology

Neurophysiology

Definition
noun
A branch of neuroscience that is concerned with the physiology of the nervous system
Supplement
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system and is concerned with the structure, development, function, chemistry, pharmacology, and pathology of the nervous system. Modern tools and technologies (e.g. molecular biology, electrophysiology, computational methods, etc.) led to the advancement of research on nervous system. As a result, neuroscience is now comprised of various branches. Neurophysiology is one of these branches.
Neurophysiology is a branch of neuroscience that studies the physiology of the nervous system. It makes use of the physiological techniques in its research, e.g. electrophysiological recordings (using voltage clamp, patch clamp, etc.), calcium imaging, optogenetics, and molecular biology. Some of the topics of interests are electroencephalography, neuroplasticity, chemical synapse, brainstem, electromyography, exocytosis, transcranial magnetic stimulation, long-term potentiation, nerve conduction study, and transcranial direct current stimulation. Electroencephalograpy or EEG is one in which the electrical activity of the brain is recorded from the scalp. Electromyography and nerve conduction research are concerned with assessing the function of the nerves and muscles.
Neurophysiology is also concerned with studying disorders affecting the brain, e.g. meningitis, strokes, dementia, encephalitis, etc., as well as the nerve and the muscle such as myasthenia gravis and motor neurone disease.
Word origin: Greek neuron (“nerve”) +physis (“nature, origin”) + -logia (“knowledge”)
See also:


You will also like...

Developmental Biology
Developmental Biology

Developmental biology is a biological science that is primarily concerned with how a living thing grows and attains matu..

squirrel
Animal Water Regulation

Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..

Transpiration
Water in Plants

The movement of molecules (specifically, water and solutes) is vital to the understanding of plant processes. This tuto..

Independent Assortment and Crossing Over
Independent Assortment and Crossing Over

This tutorial describes the independent assortment of chromosomes and crossing over as important events in meiosis. Read..

human respiratory system
Respiration

The human respiratory system is an efficient system of inspiring and expiring respiratory gases. This tutorial provides ..

Sensory systems
Sensory Systems

A sensory system is a part of the nervous system consisting of sensory receptors that receive stimuli from the internal ..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics