The fifth edition of From Neuron and Brain has been thoroughly rewritten, with new chapters added, to provide a readable, up-to-date book for use in undergraduate, graduate, and medical school courses in neuroscience. As in previous editions, the emphasis is on experiments made by electrical recordings, molecular and cellular biological techniques, and behavioral studies on the nervous system, from simple reflexes to cognitive functions. Lines of research are followed from the inception of an idea to new findings being made in laboratories and clinics today. A major change is that this edition begins with the anatomy and physiology of the visual system, from light receptors in the retina to the perception of images. This allows the reader to appreciate right away how nerve cells act as the building blocks for perception. Detailed mechanisms of signaling are then described in later chapters. For adopting lecturers an Instructor Resource Library is available; please email lecturerservices@palgrave.com.
Table of Contents Introduction to the Fifth Edition PART I: INTRODUCTION TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Principles of Signaling and Organization Signaling in the Visual System Functional Architecture of the Visual Cortex PART II: ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF NEURONS AND GLIA Ion Channels and Signaling Structural Basis of Ion Channel Function The Ionic Basis of the Resting Potential The Ionic Basis of the Action Potential Electrical Signaling in Neurons Transport across Cell Membranes Properties and Functions of Neuroglian Cells PART III: INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION Mechanisms of Direct Synaptic Transmission Indirect Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission Release of Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters in the Central Nervous System Transmitter Synthesis, Transport, Storage, and Inactivation Synaptic Plasticity PART IV: INTEGRATIVE MECHANISMS Autonomic Nervous System Cellular Mechanisms of Behavior in Ants, Bees, and Leeches PART V: SENSATION AND MOVEMENT Sensory Transduction Transduction and Transmission in the Retina Touch, Pain, and Texture Sensation Auditory and Vestibular Sensation Constructing Perception Circuits Controlling Reflexes, Respiration, and Coordinated Movements PART VI: DEVELOPMENT AND REGENERATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Development of the Nervous System Critical Periods in Sensory Systems Regeneration of Synaptic Connections after Injury PART VII: CONCLUSION Open Questions Clinical relevance emphasized Appendices Current Flow in Electrical Circuits Metabolic Pathways for the Synthesis and Inactivation of Low Molecular Weight Transmitters Structures and Pathways of the Brain
About the Author JOHN G. NICHOLLS Professor of Neuroscience at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste (known as SISSA), Italy. A. ROBERT MARTIN Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA. PAUL A. FUCHS Director of Research and the John E. Bordley Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Profe...
