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Nature Neuroscience 11, 733–734 (1 July 2008) | doi:10.1038/nn0708-733

Out of control in the dendrites

Nelson Spruston & Daniel Johnston

When Hodgkin and Huxley performed their classic experiments using the voltage clamp to analyze the conductances underlying the action potential, they understood the importance of inserting wires into the squid giant axon to control the transmembrane voltage along its entire length (called 'space clamping'). The procedure was undoubtedly difficult and tedious, but it was necessary to accurately measure membrane conductance.