ScienceAugust 24, 2026

electrophysiology

ih-LEK-troh-fiz-ee-OL-uh-jee

Definition

The branch of physiology that measures and studies the electrical properties and activities of biological cells and tissues.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'elektron' (amber, the source of static electricity), the Greek 'physis' (nature), and the Greek suffix '-logia' (study of). It entered the English language in the 19th century to describe the study of electrical phenomena in living organisms.

In the news

The article mentions electrophysiology alongside other laboratory methods to confirm that brain cells were being functionally recruited during drug treatment. It serves as evidence that the neurons were actively participating in the body's metabolic response.

Scientists assumed semaglutide’s long-term effects would depend on silencing the brain’s hunger neurons. But a Yale-led study published in PNAS in August 2026 found that prolonged treatment recruited these neurons in female mice—and disrupting them w

Read the full article ↗

ScienceBlog.com

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.