Nanophysiology is a field that concerns the function of nanodomains, such as the regulation of molecular or ionic flows in cell subcompartments, such as glial protrusions,

dendritic spines A dendritic spine (or spine) is a small membrane protrusion from a neuron's dendrite that typically receives input from a single axon at the synapse. Dendritic spines serve as a storage site for synaptic strength and help transmit electrical sig ...

dendrites A dendrite (from Greek δένδρον ''déndron'', "tree") or dendron is a branched cytoplasmic process that extends from a nerve cell that propagates the electrochemical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body, or soma ...

mitochondria A mitochondrion () is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is us ...

and many more.

Background

Molecular organization in nanocompartments provides the construction required to achieve elementary functions that can sustain higher physiological functions of a cell. This includes calcium homeostatis, protein turn over, plastic changes underlying cell communications. The goal of this field is to determine the function of these nanocompartments based on molecular organization, ionic flow or

voltage Voltage, also known as (electrical) potential difference, electric pressure, or electric tension, is the difference in electric potential between two points. In a Electrostatics, static electric field, it corresponds to the Work (electrical), ...

distribution.

Voltage dynamics

How the voltage is regulated in nanodomains remains an open field. While the classical Goldman-Hodgkin-Huxley-Katz models in biophysics provides a foundation for electrophysiology and has been responsible for many advances in

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, ...

, this theory remains insufficient to describe the voltage dynamics in small nano-compartments, such as

synaptic terminals Chemical synapses are biological junctions through which neurons' signals can be sent to each other and to non-neuronal cells such as those in muscles or glands. Chemical synapses allow neurons to form circuits within the central nervous syste ...

cytoplasm The cytoplasm describes all the material within a eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, including the organelles and excluding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. The material inside the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell a ...

around voltage-gated channels, because they are based on spatial and ionic homogeneity. Instead,

electrodiffusion Molecular diffusion is the motion of atoms, molecules, or other particles of a gas or liquid at temperatures above absolute zero. The rate of this movement is a function of temperature, viscosity of the fluid, size and density (or their product, ...

theory should be used to describe

electrical current Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

flow in these nanostructures and reveal the structure-function.

References

{{reflist Biophysics Cell biology