High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Electroporation, or
electropermeabilization, is a significant increase in the electrical
conductivity and permeability of the cell plasma membrane caused by an
externally applied electrical field. It is usually used in molecular
biology as a way of introducing some substance into a cell, such as
loading it with a molecular probe, a drug that can change the cell's
function, or a piece of coding DNA. Electroporation is a dynamic
phenomenon that depends on the local transmembrane voltage at each cell
membrane point. It is generally accepted that for a given pulse duration
and shape, a specific transmembrane voltage threshold exists for the
manifestation of the electroporation phenomenon. This leads to the
definition of an electric field magnitude threshold for electroporation.
That is, only the cells within areas where E>Eth are electroporated.
If a second threshold is reached or surpassed, electroporation will
compromise the viability of the cells, i.e., irreversible
electroporation.