Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Preparation of Rat Sciatic Nerve for Ex Vivo Neurophysiology
Published on: July 12, 2022
[The discovery of the nerve impulse. A chapter in the history of physiology]
Abstract:
The subject of this essay is the discovery of the nerve impulse and its historical background. The main focus is on two important physician- scientists: Emil du Bois-Reymond (1818-1896) and Julius Bernstein (1838-1917). Du Bois-Reymond is considered the first scientist in his- tory who noticed what he called the "negative variation" during the stimulation of a nerve - the action potential in the language of today. Bernstein's main contribution was a theory called the membrane theory, which explains the activity in nerve cells as a phenomenon caused by differences in ion-concentrations in the interior versus the exterior of the cell. Bernstein's theory was based on the available knowledge from chemistry and cell biology in the late 19th century, in particular the Nernst equation. Bernstein's membrane theory paved the way for further investigations in the 20th century.
More Related Videos
09:34Use of In Vivo Single-fiber Recording and Intact Dorsal Root Ganglion with Attached Sciatic Nerve to Examine the Mechanism of Conduction Failure
Published on: August 27, 2019
04:56In Vivo Electrophysiological Measurement of the Rat Ulnar Nerve with Axonal Excitability Testing
Published on: February 6, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Action Potential
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potentials
Electrical Synapses
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Functions of the Nervous System
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...