Patch Clamp Technique
An electrophysiological laboratory technique used to record ion currents flowing through single individual ion channel proteins in cell membranes.
Governing formula
I_single_channel ~ 1–10 pA (Gigaohm Seal Measurement)
SI unit
pA (Picoamperes) & GΩ (Gigaohm Resistance)
In depth
Developed by Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann (Nobel Prize 1991). A glass micropipette forms a high-resistance 'giga-seal' (GΩ) with the cell membrane, allowing high-resolution recording of picoampere currents.
Examples in the real world
Recording single-channel sodium current gating kinetics in cardiac muscle cell patches.