Bioelectricity - Seitai Denki (English spelling)

Japanese: 生体電気 - せいたいでんき（英語表記）bioelectricity

This phenomenon of electricity generation seen in living organisms is also called bioelectricity. The biological membranes surrounding various cells are usually positively charged on the outside and negatively charged on the inside, and there is a potential difference between the inside and outside. This is called the membrane potential (resting potential) and has a value of several mV to 80 mV. Bioelectricity originates from this, but when a cell becomes excited, the membrane changes its permeability to ions. At that time, sodium ions flow into the inside of the membrane, decreasing the potential difference between the inside and outside (depolarization), and there is a moment when the inside finally becomes positive, but it eventually returns to normal. In other words, bioelectricity is based on membrane phenomena in excitable cells. Human bioelectricity is used in medical diagnosis as electrocardiograms, electromyograms, and electroencephalograms, and to promote the healing of fractures and wounds by electrical stimulation. The electrical phenomena of electric fish, which can sometimes reach hundreds of volts, are also the accumulation of these electrical phenomena of individual tiny cells.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

生物にみられる発電現象で，生物電気ともいう。種々の細胞を取囲む生体膜は，通常外側が正，内側が負に帯電し，内外に電位差がある。これを膜電位 (静止電位) といい，数 mV～80mVの値を示す。生体電気はこれに由来するが，細胞が興奮を引起すと，膜はイオンに対する透過性を変化させる。そのときナトリウムイオンが膜を通して内側へ流れ込んで内外間の電位差は減少し (脱分極) ，ついに内側が正になる瞬間もあるが，やがてもとに戻る。すなわち生体電気は，興奮性細胞での膜現象に基づく。ヒトの生体電気は心電図，筋電図，脳波図として医学の診断や，電気刺激をして骨折や傷の治癒を促進することなどに利用される。発電魚などの，ときに数百Vに及ぶ電気現象も，これら微小な個々の細胞の電気現象が積重なったものである。

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