Electrophysiology of Single Cardiac Cells

UR KNOWLEDGE of the electrophysiology of the heart has been advanced 0 considerably by the use of the intracellular microelectrode, and the major part of this review deals with results obtained by this technique. Certain results obtained by use of the older techniques of monophasic recording are also included, but very little work based on conventional electrocardiographic methods has been considered because of extensive treatment elsewhere. In one sense, therefore, this review is a continuation of the well known article of Schiitz, Elektrophysiologie des Herzens bei einphasischer Ableitzcng, which appeared in 1936 (149). There seems to be no occasion to review the literature before that date: for all work with mono-phasic recording up to 1936 Schtitz’s review is comprehensive and indispensable. Three other sources of information on the subject of monophasic recording may be mentioned. There is a useful section on the heart in Schaefer’s EZektrophysioEogie (147); an extensive survey of the literature prior to 1950 may be found in Rothschuh (140), and, finally,W el ‘d mann’s monograph (171, 172) must be consulted not only as a review but also as a summary of his own important work and as an attempt to bring the results of recent years within the scope of the ionic theory of the action potential.