History of electrophysiological research from “Animal Electricity” by L. Galvani to electrical potentials by V. Chagovts

The development of physiology as an independent science is closely related to electrophysiology. The regularities formulated in this section are important for understanding the regularities of the functioning of internal organs. The section of electrophysiology includes the study of excitability processes, the formation of rest and action potentials, the mechanisms of muscle contraction, the conduction of excitation along nerve fibers, the mechanisms of conduction of excitation through synapses. The work of all internal organs is based on electrophysiological principles, since excitable tissues are part of the functioning internal organs. Both students of medical universities and working doctors will find it useful to get acquainted with this material, which determines the relevance of the work. We set the aim of the article is to analise the historical stages in the formation of electrophysiology as an independent section of physiology. Metodology of the study is realized mainly with the help of descriptive and historical methods. The novelty of the study. The article states that the presence of “animal electricity” was first noticed by Luigi Galvani. Further studies conducted by Volt, Matteucci, Dubois-Raymond expanded the understanding of the mechanisms of conducting excitations on the neuromuscular elements of the body. Attention is drawn to the role of Ukrainian physiologists who made an important contribution to the scientific heritage. Thus, V. Chagovts discovered the fundamental laws of potential formation and the basis of excitability, the concept of a critical level of depolarization. Conclusions. The resulting patterns are fundamental even today. The data presented in the article expand knowledge of the physiology of excitable tissues and provide an opportunity to form a more complete picture from this section.