Electric Field Application
Electric Field Application - Related Videos
10:23
Electric Fields
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2023
Source: Yong P. Chen, PhD, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN An electric field is generated by a charged object (referred to as the source charge) in the space around it, and represents the ability to exert electric force on another charged object (referred to as the test charge). Represented by a vector at any given point in the space, the electric field is the electrical force per unit test charge placed at that point (the force...
01:27
Induced Electric Fields: Applications
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2025
An important distinction exists between the electric field induced by a changing magnetic field and the electrostatic field produced by a fixed charge distribution. Specifically, the induced electric field is nonconservative because it does not work in moving a charge over a closed path. In contrast, the electrostatic field is conservative and does no net work over a closed path. Hence, electric potential can be associated with the electrostatic field but not the induced field. The following...
04:46
Changing the Direction and Orientation of Electric Field During Electric Pulses Application Improves Plasmid Gene Transfer in vitro
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Cited by 2 •
2011
Gene transfection by electroporation is improved approximately two times when orientation of electric field is changed during pulse application, while cell viability is not affected. The increase in gene transfection is caused by the increase of the membrane area which is made competent for DNA entry into the cell.
09:12
Electric Charge in a Magnetic Field
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2023
Source: Andrew Duffy, PhD, Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA This experiment duplicates J.J. Thomson's famous experiment at the end of the 19th century, in which he measured the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron. In combination with Robert A. Millikan's oil-drop experiment a few years later that produced a value for the charge of the electron, the experiments enabled scientists to find, for the first time, both the mass and the charge of the electron, which are key...
01:16
Electric Field
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2023
Consider two point charges, each exerting Coulomb force on the other. It is possible to describe the Coulomb interaction via an intermediate step by defining a new physical quantity called the electric field. In the new picture, imagine that the first charge sets up an electric field independent of all other charges in the universe. When another charge comes in its vicinity, the second charge experiences an electric force depending on the electric field at that point. The source charge does not...
FAQs
Field strength determines how strongly charged particles and ions are driven, while pulse duration influences how long membranes experience that force. Together with exposure conditions, these variables help determine whether cells show controlled changes in membrane potential, temporary pore formation, or cellular damage. Adjusting them is therefore central to producing a useful response rather than excessive disruption.
An appropriately strong, brief pulse can create temporary pores in a cell membrane, allowing the membrane to become more permeable. The same process becomes undesirable when exposure conditions cause excessive cellular damage. Controlling pulse intensity and duration lets investigators use transient membrane changes for biological manipulation while limiting harmful effects on cells.
Electrophoresis uses the field to separate biomolecules according to their movement, whereas electroporation focuses on changing cell membranes through brief, sufficiently strong pulses. Thus, one application organizes biomolecules for separation, while the other creates a temporary route across a membrane. The distinction depends on whether separation or cellular entry is the intended outcome.
Researchers should control field strength, pulse duration, and exposure conditions as a coordinated set rather than treating any one variable independently. These parameters influence ion movement, membrane potential, pore formation, and the risk of cellular damage. Careful adjustment is especially important when the goal is to produce a targeted response, such as temporary permeability, without disrupting the cells excessively.
First, investigators select exposure conditions that can produce temporary membrane pores without excessive damage. They then apply the controlled electric pulse to the cells and use the resulting permeability to support entry of DNA or drugs. The outcome depends on maintaining the intended balance between membrane modification and cellular preservation, so field strength, pulse duration, and exposure conditions require careful control.
They can support several complementary biological investigations: DNA or drug delivery, biomolecule separation by electrophoresis, stimulation of excitable tissues, and studies of cell signaling or migration. These applications use different consequences of electric forces, including ion movement, membrane-potential changes, membrane permeabilization, or movement-based separation. Consequently, the same general approach can address both manipulation and investigation of biological systems.