Ion Channels: Molecules in Action

by David J. Aidley, Peter R. Stanfield

Overview

Ion channels are crucial components of living cells. Situated in the cell membrane, they allow ions to pass from one side of the membrane to the other. This book provides an overview of ion channel study, including up-to-date coverage of the permeability and selectivity of channels, their gating and modulation, their response to drugs and toxins, and the human diseases that result from channel malfunction. Students of molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and neurobiology will benefit from this modern, concise text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521498821
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/13/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.69(h) x 0.67(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Ions on the move; 3. Investigating channel activity; 4. Molecular structures; 5. Permeability and selectivity; 6. Gating and modulation; 7. Drugs and toxins; 8. Dysfunctional channels in human disease; 9. Not the last word; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...[a] clear and concise introduction to the physics, chemistry, and molecular biology used for ion channel research...what distinguishes this book from standard textbooks is the inclusion of some details of the experimental design, so as to allow the reader to have a better feel of how the studies were done and how the abstract theories emerged from the data...The authors have done a fantastic job in presenting a balanced view and in pointing out unsettled areas." Lily Yeh Jan, Cell

"...this book takes the reader to the frontiers of current research and should be of considerable interest to reproductive and developmental biologists." Ralph B.L. Gwatkin, Molecular Reproduction and Development

"The new Ion Channels book by David J. Aidley and Peter R. Stanfield offers an easy and smooth initiation....The authors have done a fantastic job in presenting a balanced view and in pointing out unsettled areas." Lily Yeh Jan, Cell

From the Publisher

This is a comprehensive treatise on the properties of ion channels in the external and internal membrane of cells. The book covers the basic properties of ion channels, including gating, kinetics of activation and inactivation, ion selectivity, and the molecular biology of ion channels. It is intended to provide an introduction to the study and the properties of ion channels. I consider the objectives to be very worthwhile; ion channels are basic to the very notion of life. The book meets these aims well, although the book goes somewhat beyond the level of an introductory text. Although the text is aimed at high-level undergraduate and graduate students in the biomedical sciences, I would consider it particularly useful to graduate students and for other researchers needing to gain insights in this area if it is outside their immediate research interests. The book is well illustrated, and the references are pertinent if a little dated simply because this is a field that moves very quickly. I found this book to be an exceptionally useful source. It appears accurate, although it will suffer from rapid dating in this field of study. The text will be particularly useful for graduate students starting work in areas of research involving ion channels and for more senior academics looking for information outside of their field. I would recommend this for library purchase and would buy it myself.

Simon T. Alford