Nerve Cells and Nervous Systems: An Introduction to NeuroscienceIt is now about 10 years since the first edition of Nerve Cells and Nervous Systems was published. There have been many important advances across the whole field of neuro science since 1990 and it was obvious that the first edition had become much less useful than when it was published. Hence this new edition. I have attempted to keep to the aims of the first edition by presenting the general principles of neuroscience in the context of experimental evidence. As with the first edition, the selection of material to include, or exclude, has been difficult and invariably reflects my personal biases. I hope that not too many readers will be disappointed with the selections. I have unashamedly retained material, and, in particular, illustrations where I think they remain of importance to an understanding of the field and to its historical development. As before, I have attempted as reasonable a coverage as possible within the confines of a book that should be easy to carry around, to handle and, I hope, to read. The book should be useful for anyone studying the nervous system at both undergraduate and immediate postgraduate levels. In particular, under graduates reading neuroscience or any course containing a neuroscience component, such as physiology, pharmacology, biomedical sciences or psychology, as well as medicine and veterinary medicine should find the book helpful. |
Contents
Ionic Permeability and Electrotonic Properties | 15 |
The Action Potential and the Nerve Impulse | 27 |
VoltageGated Ion Channels in Excitable Membranes | 45 |
General Properties of Intercellular Communication in the Nervous System | 55 |
Release of Neurotransmitter | 63 |
Neurotransmitters | 75 |
Actions of Neurotransmitters | 87 |
The Neuron as an Integrative Device | 101 |
Sense Organ Mechanisms | 131 |
Functional Organisation in Groups of Neurons | 145 |
Structural Organisation of Sensory and Motor Systems | 161 |
Functional Properties of Specific Sensory and Motor Systems | 177 |
Formation Maintenance and Plasticity of Synapses | 215 |
Learning and Memory | 231 |
| 239 | |
| 249 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action potential activity afferent fibres amplitude Ca2+ capacitance cell bodies cell membrane central cerebellar cortex cerebellum cerebral cortex Chapter chemical component conductance cortical current flow dendrites depolarisation electrical electrode EPSP excitation excitatory firing function GABA ganglia giant axon glutamate Hodgkin hormone hyperpolarising inactivation increase inhibition inhibitory initial segment innervate input interneuron intracellular ion channels ionic ionotropic K+ current K+ ions leads located mammalian mechanisms medial membrane potential microelectrode mitral cell molecules monosynaptic motoneurons movement muscle fibres muscle spindle myelinated Na+ channels nerve cells nerve fibres nerve impulse nerve terminals nervous system neurotransmitter Nucleus olfactory organisation pathways postsynaptic cell presynaptic neuron primary afferent produced protein pulses Purkinje cells receptive field receptor potential recorded reflex Reproduced with permission response sense organs sensory receptors single soma somatosensory spinal cord squid giant axon stimulus subunits synaptic vesicles thalamus tion tract transmission transmitter release vertebrate visual voltage voltage-gated