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Action Potentials and Patch Clamping: Influences on Neuroscience Developments

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Choose one landmark of psychology and neuroscience before the twentieth century that intrigues you the most and argue its importance. Please provide scholarly resources; NO copy and paste, place in text citations for quoted references.

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Solution Summary

A brief discussion on the implications of the discovery of patch clamping, electrical impulses and action potentials as a means for neurons to communicate. A brief summary of major discoveries in the twentieth century that are direct consequences of the discovery of neurons' electrophysiological properties, namely, learning and memory and neuroplasticity.

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The twentieth century marked the greatest contributions to electrophysiology and it's application to the neurosciences. Fundamental to understanding neuroscience and psychology was the pursuit of understanding the physiological mechanisms behind how the cells of the nervous system actually functioned, communicated and controlled effectors.

To this end, various physiologists developed theories and techniques that would help elucidate the properties of neurons which make them capable of communication. The idea that electrical signals were involved was actually developed in the late nineteenth century, however the invention of techniques to study it did not occur until mid-1900's. Hodgkin, Katz and Huxley are often accredited with the usage ...

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