Electrical Properties in Biological Materials

Abstract

Bioelectric phenomena in biological materials arise from intricate molecular structures and hierarchical organizations, resulting in diverse electrical properties. Understanding the structure–function relationship at each hierarchical level is crucial for elucidating these mechanisms. A multidisciplinary approach combining advanced experimental tools and computational simulations helps bridge the gap between observation and theory. Crystallographic studies highlight the importance of lattice symmetry in classifying electrical characteristics, playing a significant role in understanding bioelectricity. Investigating the electrical properties of biological building blocks, including amino acids, peptides, proteins, tissues, and viruses, reveals significant insights. These biological components exhibit diverse electrical behaviors due to their unique structural arrangements. Understanding these phenomena from the nanoscale to the macroscale is essential for comprehending bioelectricity and developing biomedical and wearable devices. This review provides insights into bioelectricity by discussing the bioelectrical properties of biological building blocks, categorizing their hierarchical structures, and analyzing their underlying mechanisms. Our review will clarify the relationship between fundamental structures and bioelectrical properties, and provide insights for designing novel biotechnologies and future applications.