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Sparks in the Brain: The Story of Ion Channels and Nerve Cells

B. Sakmann

Published 2022 in Frontiers for Young Minds

ABSTRACT

Understanding the communication between nerve cells in the brain is key to understanding how the brain works. Communication between nerve cells involves chemical messages sent from one cell that get translated into electrical activity in the receiving cell. This electrical activity is the core language of nerve cells and of the entire brain. How does a chemical message released in one cell results in electrical activity in another nerve cell, and how did we discovery this? Let us dive together into the electrifying world of nerve cell communication. I will tell you about our experiments, which enabled us to find the most basic component of electrical activity in the brain—ion channels. The discovery of ion channels paved the way to understanding the origin of electrical activity in the brain and other organs like the heart. This discovery provided new insights into the development of drugs for treating various electrical-related diseases, such as epilepsy and heart-rate disorders.

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