Chemical Transmitters Carry the Signal Across Synapses & Neuromuscular Junctions
A contact between 2 nerves is called a synapse
At the synapse there is a break in electrical transmission (the action potential cannot cross)- instead chemicals are released that carry the signal to the next nerve
The release of chemical transmitters at nerve endings was first shown by Otto Loewi in the frog heart
A neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a contact between a nerve and a muscle- it is like a synapse, the action potential stops and the signal is carried by a chemical
Biomedical informatics, as a scientific discipline, has its roots in the early 1970s. It encompasses the fields of bioinformatics, medical imaging, health informatics, and several other disciplines. In recent years, this biological field has experienced explosive growth, due to public access to massive amounts of data generated from the Human Genome Project. A host of other complementary research efforts have also contributed to the knowledge base. This synergistic blend of multiple branches of biology, combined with information technology and knowledge, has enabled researchers and clinicians to utilize an array of information to advance biological research and healthcare.
Biomedical microdevices include any miniaturized devices or systems for biomedical or biological applications, from simple sensors for monitoring a single biological, to complex micro total analysis or lab-on-a-chip instruments that integrate multiple laboratory functions together with microfluidic sample manipulation. Biomedical microdevice and systems research is an exciting multi-disciplinary field intersecting engineering, physics, chemistry, nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Micromachining, originally based in the microelectronic industry, forms the foundation for this exciting field, in which biosensors, microchannel fluid transport, and other micro mechanical, optical, chemical, and fluidic components are fabricated and integrated for applications ranging from monitoring biofluid levels and bed side rapid diagnosis to studying single cell antibody production. Furthermore, micromachining can be combined with nanostructures or nanomaterials to result in new technologies and techniques that continue to advance the field in new ways.
Biosignal is a summarizing term for all kinds of signals that can be (continually) measured and monitored from biological beings. The term biosignal is often used to mean bio-electrical signal but in fact, biosignal refers to both electrical and non-electrical signals.
Electrical biosignals (“bio-electrical” signals) are usually taken to be (changes in) electrical currents produced by the sum of electrical potential differences across a specialized tissue, organ or cell system like the nervous system. Thus, among the best-known bio-electrical signals are :
