How does a silver electrode work?

Why are silver electrodes used?

Silver/silver chloride is a common choice of biological electrodes due to its low half-cell potential of about +222 mV (SHE), low impedance, with a toxicity lower than that of the calomel electrode containing mercury.

What is the difference between silver electrode and calomel electrode?

This electrode and the silver/silver chloride reference electrode work in the same way. In both electrodes, the activity of the metal ion is fixed by the solubility of the metal salt. The calomel electrode contains mercury, which poses much greater health hazards than the silver metal used in the Ag/AgCl electrode.