▁electro de ▁se aled ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁cell . ▁This ▁" who le - cell " ▁mode ▁allows ▁very ▁stable ▁int rac ell ular ▁recording . ▁A ▁dis adv antage ▁( comp ared ▁to ▁conventional ▁int rac ell ular ▁recording ▁with ▁sharp ▁electro des ) ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁int rac ell ular ▁fluid ▁of ▁the ▁cell ▁mix es ▁with ▁the ▁solution ▁inside ▁the ▁recording ▁electro de , ▁and ▁so ▁some ▁important ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁int rac ell ular ▁fluid ▁can ▁be ▁dil uted . ▁A ▁variant ▁of ▁this ▁technique , ▁the ▁" per for ated ▁patch " ▁technique , ▁tries ▁to ▁minim ise ▁these ▁problems . ▁Instead ▁of ▁applying ▁su ction ▁to ▁dis place ▁the ▁memb rane ▁patch ▁from ▁the ▁electro de ▁tip , ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁possible ▁to ▁make ▁small ▁holes ▁on ▁the ▁patch ▁with ▁p ore - form ing ▁agents ▁so ▁that ▁large ▁mole cules ▁such ▁as ▁prote ins ▁can ▁stay ▁inside ▁the ▁cell ▁and ▁ ions ▁can ▁pass ▁through ▁the ▁holes ▁freely . ▁Also ▁the ▁patch ▁of ▁memb rane ▁can ▁be ▁pulled ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁cell . ▁This ▁approach ▁enables ▁the ▁memb rane ▁properties ▁of ▁the ▁patch ▁to ▁be ▁anal ys ed ▁ph arm ac olog ically . ▁ ▁Sh arp ▁electro de ▁recording ▁In ▁situations ▁where ▁one ▁wants ▁to ▁record ▁the ▁potential ▁inside ▁the ▁cell ▁memb rane ▁with ▁minimal ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁ion ic ▁constitution ▁of ▁the ▁int rac ell ular ▁fluid ▁a ▁sharp ▁electro de ▁can ▁be ▁used . ▁These ▁mic rop ip