This document outlines the course objectives, content, and structure for a biomedical engineering course on bioelectricity, which aims to develop an understanding of how electrical signals are generated and transmitted by excitable cells like neurons and muscles. The course will cover topics like membrane potentials, action potentials, signal propagation, electrical stimulation, neural electrophysiology, and more through lectures, readings, assignments, and tests. Students are expected to have prerequisite knowledge in fields like biology, physics, and engineering.

1. BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Course Code: 04041109
BIOELECTRICITY
Lecture 1:Introduction to the Course
1

2. Learning Outcomes/Objectives
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2
• Develop an electrical-circuit model of the membrane of an excitable cell
such as a neuron or muscle cell;
• Solve differential equations describing the response of ion channel gating
particles and of the transmembrane potential to a stimulus;
• Explain the principles behind the propagation of electrical potentials along
the cellular membrane;
• Explain how the activity of excitable cells gives rise to electrical potentials
that can be measured on the surface of the skin such as EEG, ECG & EMG
and the limits of what can be inferred from such measurements;
• Analyze how different neural elements will respond to electrical stimulation
depending on the electrode-neuron geometry and the current waveform

3. BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 3
Course Rationale
To develop both a qualitative and a quantitative understanding of the
generation and transmission of bioelectricity in and between excitable cells
Circuit analysis and modeling of potentials and currents across the cellular
membrane, action potentials, propagation of potentials along the cellular
membrane, electrical stimulation of excitable tissue, extracellular fields, neural
electrophysiology, cardiac electrophysiology, the neuromuscular junction,
skeletal muscle, and functional electrical stimulation.
Precursor to Electrophysiology

4. Contd.
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 4
Modality Abbreviation Body part
Common in clinical
use
electrocardiography ECG or EKG
heart (specifically, the cardiac muscle), with cutaneous
electrodes (noninvasive)
Very common
electroatriography EAG atrial cardiac muscle Uncommon
electroventriculography EVG ventricular cardiac muscle Uncommon
intracardiac electrogram EGM
heart (specifically, the cardiac muscle), with intracardiac
electrodes (invasive)
Somewhat common
electroencephalography EEG
brain (usually the cerebral cortex), with extracranial
electrodes
Somewhat common
electrocorticography ECoG or iEEG
brain (specifically the cerebral cortex), with intracranial
electrodes
Somewhat common
electromyography EMG
muscles throughout the body (usually skeletal,
occasionally smooth)
Very common

5. BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 5
electrooculography EOG eye (entire globe) Somewhat common
electroretinography ERG retina specifically Somewhat common
electronystagmography ENG eye via the corneoretinal potential Somewhat common
electroolfactography EOG olfactory epithelium in mammals Uncommon
electroantennography EAG
olfactory receptors in arthropod
antennae
Not applicable
electrocochleography ECOG or ECochG cochlea Somewhat common
electrogastrography EGG stomach smooth muscle Somewhat common

6. BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 6
electrogastroenterography EGEG stomach and bowel smooth muscle Somewhat common
electroglottography EGG glottis Uncommon
electropalatography EPG palatal contact of tongue Uncommon
electroarteriography EAG
arterial flow via streaming potential
detected through skin
Uncommon
electroblepharography EBG eyelid muscle Uncommon
electrodermography EDG skin Uncommon
electrohysterography EHG uterus Uncommon
electroneuronography ENeG or ENoG nerves Uncommon
electropneumography EPG lungs (chest movements) Uncommon
electrospinography ESG spinal cord Uncommon
electrovomerography EVG vomeronasal organ Uncommon

7. Reading Materials
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 7
Textbook:
R. Plonsey and R. C. Barr, “Bioelectricity: A Quantitative Approach,” 3rd Edition, Springer, 2007.
Reference Books:
•S. Grimnes and O. G. Martinsen, “Bioimpedance and Bioelectricity Basics,’’ 3rd Edition
•C. Guyton and J. E. Hall, "Textbook of Medical Physiology," 13th Edition
•Koch, "Biophysics of computation: information processing in single neurons," Oxford University
Press, 1998.
•P. L. Nunez and R. Srinivasan, "Electric fields of the brain: the neurophysics of EEG," 2nd Edition,
Oxford University Press, 2005.
•Hille, "Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes," 3rd Edition, Sinauer Associates, 2001

8. Lecture Outline:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 8
Lecture Topics Readings
1 01,02 Introduction to Bioelectricity and Excitable Cells.
2 03,04,05,06 Bioelectric Potentials and Currents
P&B Ch. 3
3 07,08,09,10 Membrane Channels
P&B Ch. 4
4 11,12 Action Potentials
P&B Ch. 5
5 13,14 Impulse Propagation
P&B Ch. 6
6 15,16 Electrical Stimulation of Excitable Tissue
P&B Ch. 7

9. BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 9
Lecture Topics Readings
7 17,18 Extracellular Fields
P&B Ch. 8
8 19,20 Cardiac Electrophysiology
P&B Ch. 9
9 21,22 Cardiac Electrophysiology
P&B Ch. 9
10 23,24,25,26 Neural Electrophysiology
11 27,28
The Neuromuscular Junction &
Skeletal Muscle
P&B Ch. 10&11
12 29,30
Functional Electrical
Stimulation
P&B Ch. 12

10. Assumed Knowledge
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 10
Algebra, trigonometry, functions, and calculus
Basic cell biology
Electrical circuit theory
Introductory electromagnetics
Basic linear systems theory

11. Class Tests:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 11
CT#01/Assignment#1 :
Introduction to Bioelectricity and Excitable Cells.
Bioelectric Potentials and Currents
Membrane Channels
CT#02 Assignment#2:
Membrane Channels
Action Potentials
Impulse Propagation
Electrical Stimulation of Excitable Tissue
** Fixed except for any unforeseen/unavoidable reasons.

12. Class Tests:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 12
CT#03/Assignment#3 :
Introduction to Bioelectricity and Excitable Cells.
Bioelectric Potentials and Currents
Membrane Channels
CT#04/Assignment#4 :
Membrane Channels
Action Potentials
Impulse Propagation
Electrical Stimulation of Excitable Tissue
** Fixed except for any unforeseen/unavoidable reasons.

13. Class Tests:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 13
CT#05/ Assignment#5 :
Introduction to Bioelectricity and Excitable Cells.
Bioelectric Potentials and Currents
Membrane Channels
CT#06/ Assignment#6:
Membrane Channels
Action Potentials
Impulse Propagation
Electrical Stimulation of Excitable Tissue
** Fixed except for any unforeseen/unavoidable reasons.

14. Course Materials:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 14
 Assignments need to submit at:
tohfajinan@buhs.ac.bd
 PDF of the Textbook/Slides will be provided in WhatsApp group(Bioelectricity_Fall
2022).
WhatsApp No:+8801618518014

15. Homework:
BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 15
Read up:
P&B Chapters 01 & 02: Vectors, Source Fields
For initial understanding go through HSC Physics Books.