Cellular Biophysics, Volume 2: Electrical Properties

by Thomas Fischer Weiss

Overview

Cellular Biophysics is a quantitatively oriented basic physiology text for senior undergraduate and graduate students in bioengineering, biophysics, physiology, and neuroscience programs. It will also serve as a major reference work for biophysicists.

Developed from the author's notes for a course that he has taught at MIT for many years, these books provide a clear and logical explanation of the foundations of cell biophysics, teaching transport and the electrical properties of cells from a combined biological, physical, and engineering viewpoint. Each volume contains introductory chapters that motivate the material and present it in a broad historical context. Important experimental results and methods are described. Theories are derived almost always from first principles so that students develop an understanding of not only the predictions of the theory but also its limitations. Theoretical results are compared carefully with experimental findings and new results appear throughout. There are many time-tested exercises and problems as well as extensive lists of references. The volume on the electrical properties of cells covers both electrically inexcitable cells as well as electrically excitable cells such as neurons and muscle cells. Included are chapters on lumped-parameter and distributed-parameter models of cells, linear electric properties of cells, the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the giant axon of the squid, saltatory conduction in myelinated nerve fibers, and voltage-gated ion channels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262529570
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	03/06/1996
Series:	MIT Press Series , #2
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	590
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)

Table of Contents

VOLUME TWO · Electrical Properties
Units, Physical Constants, List of Symbols
Electric Properties of Cells
A Brief Historical Perspective
Cellular Electric Potentials
Mechanisms of Generation of Membrane Potentials
Information Coding
The Marvelous Giant AXon of the Squid
Lumped and DistributedParameter Models
Introduction
Electric Variables
Electrically Small Cells
Electrically Large CellsThe Core Conductor Model
Linear Electric Properties of Cells
Introduction
Membrane Electrical Properties
Electrically Small Cells
Electrically Large CellsThe Cable Model
HodgkinHuXley Model
Introduction
Ionic Mechanisms
Synthesis
EXplanation of Electrical EXcitability
Saltatory Conduction
Structure of Myelinated Fibers
Physiological Evidence
Electrical Properties of Myelinated Fibers
Model for Saltatory Conduction
Conduction Velocity of Myelinated Fibers
What Causes Saltatory Conduction?
VoltageGated Ion Channels
Historical Perspective
Macroscopic Ionic Currents
Gating Currents
SingleChannel Currents
TwoState Gate
MultipleState Channels
Ion Channel Macromolecules
IndeX

What People are Saying About This

Stevens

This beautiful treatment of cellular biophysics is a landmark. It is comprehensive, scholarly, interesting and clear as a bell. Everyone seriously interested in how cells do business with their surroundings will want to read it.

Sachs

In this two volume series Weiss lays the foundations of cellular biophysics on physical principles in a framework that should be easily accessible to any student with a basic understanding of calculus and differential equations. The extensive set of thoughtful problems provided with each chapter will be invaluable in solidifying the student's understanding. I think it will be tremendous fun to teach from these texts.
--Massey Professor and Director, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Charles F. Stevens

This beautiful treatment of cellular biophysics is a landmark. It is comprehensive, scholarly, interesting and clear as a bell. Everyone seriously interested in how cells do business with their surroundings will want to read it.

Robert Plonsey

An easy to read and welcome undergraduate text on transport across cell membranes which provides both breadth and depth; in particular, an excellent introduction to electrophysiology.

Endorsement

An easy to read and welcome undergraduate text on transport across cell membranes which provides both breadth and depth; in particular, an excellent introduction to electrophysiology.—Robert Plonsey, Pfizer Inc./ Edmund T. Pratt Jr., University Professor of Biomedical Engineering Duke University

Dr. Don H. Johnson

Weiss's approach is to view the cell as a whole by relating each subsystem to the cell's overall function. Because he describes biophysical laws carefully and provides many examples, student and researcher alike can gain a deep appreciation and understanding of a cell's complexity.

Murray B. Sachs

In this two volume series Weiss lays the foundations of cellular biophysics on physical principles in a framework that should be easily accessible to any student with a basic understanding of calculus and differential equations. The extensive set of thoughtful problems provided with each chapter will be invaluable in solidifying the student's understanding. I think it will be tremendous fun to teach from these texts.