Electrical signalling cues in biological systems. (IMAGE)
Caption
Illustration of representative electrical signalling mechanisms in the human body spanning multiple length scales. Several biological tissues and biomolecules, including bone, cornea, structural proteins such as collagen, nucleic acids, and certain amino acids, exhibit piezoelectric responses when subjected to mechanical deformation. At the cellular level, ion pumps and transmembrane ion gradients establish membrane polarization, while the activation of voltage gated ion channels enables the initiation and propagation of action potentials. Electrically excitable cells, such as neurons and myocytes, support rapid electrical communication in the nervous system, skeletal muscle, and cardiac tissue. In epithelial tissues, polarized ion transport generates endogenous electric field gradients at wound sites, which guide directional cell migration and contribute to tissue repair processes.
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