Final answer:
Galvanic current can be used to open cell pores through electroporation, a process where an electric pulse is applied to cells. Galvanic cells function by spontaneous electrochemical reactions that generate electrical energy, allowing for various applications including electroporation.
Step-by-step explanation:
To open the pores with the galvanic current, you would apply an electrical pulse to cells, a process known as electroporation. In electroporation, pores form in the cell membrane, allowing the gene or other substances to enter the cell.
Galvanic cells, also known as voltaic cells, involve electrochemical reactions that produce electrical energy from chemical reactions spontaneously. In a galvanic cell, two electrodes made of different metals are immersed in solutions containing their respective ions and are connected by a wire and a salt bridge. The salt bridge is crucial to maintaining electrical neutrality by allowing ions to flow and balance the charges as the reaction proceeds. During this spontaneous reaction in a Zn/Cu system, electrons will flow from the zinc (the anode) to the copper (the cathode), resulting in the creation of zinc ions and metallic copper. The flow of electrons can be harnessed to perform work, including, for example, creating a current to induce electroporation.