Abstract
Since the introduction of noise analysis in 1970 by Katz & Miledi it has been clear that currents through cell membranes commonly flow through discrete ion channels, each of which carries a current of the order of a picoampere. With a standard two-electrode voltage clamp the peak-to-peak baseline noise is at least 250 pA, so it was obviously impossible to resolve the currents through individual ion channels. The discovery by Neher & Sakmann of a method of voltage clamp that reduced the baseline noise level by three orders of magnitude, and so allowed the resolution of individual ion channel currents, has had an immense impact on research into the ion channels that control all membrane permeability, not only in muscle and nerve but also in many other sorts of cell, for example gland cells and chromaffin cells. The principles and practice of the method have been described at length by Sakmann & Neher (1983) in what is now a standard reference work.
Published Version
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