Bioelectricity

Module description

This module introduces students to the important role electricity has in the human body. It focuses on the electrical functioning of the heart and the central nervous system, the two most important systems which are driven by electrical impulses. The module describes in detail the electrical behaviour of individual electrically excitable nerve and cardiac cells, using mathematics and physics to understand how these cells are excited by the movement of individual charged ions into and out of the cell. We then build on this knowledge to learn about tissue-level electrical phenomena and understand important pathological conditions associated with improper functioning of these electrical systems such as cardiac arrhythmias. The module also introduces how we can use our knowledge of the electrical functioning of the body to record important electrical signals for diagnostic purposes, and also to interact with these electrical systems by electrical therapies.

Assessment details

Coursework 30%

Exam 70%

Learning outcomes

• To be able to apply basic physics knowledge of electrical circuit theory and electromagnetism to represent and quantify the bioelectric behaviour of excitable cells at the single-cell, tissue and organ level.
• To apply simple mathematical modelling techniques to simulate and interpret the bioelectric behaviour of excitable cells and tissues.
• To gain an overall qualitative understanding of how different clinical pathologies of the heart and nervous system are related to bioelectric disorders within these systems and how they can be measurement clinically.
• To acquire analytical problem solving techniques and learn how to interpret results physically and relate them to clinically-relevant metrics.

Module description disclaimer

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Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.