Cellular Biophysics, Vol. 2: Electrical Properties [Hardcover]

Thomas Fischer Weiss (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262231840 | ISBN-13: 978-0262231848 | Publication Date: March 6, 1996

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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." --Charles F. Stevens, The Salk Institute "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." --Murray B. Sachs, Massey Professor and Director, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

About the Author

Thomas F. Weiss is Thomas and Gerd Perkins Professor of Electrical and Bioelectrical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 450 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (March 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262231840
• ISBN-13: 978-0262231848
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hodgkin Huxley Equations and Cable Equations, April 16, 2005

By 

Joseph J Grenier "jjg MD PhD" (Aurora, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cellular Biophysics, Vol. 2: Electrical Properties (Hardcover)

This is a mathematical cell neurophysiology tour de force which gives the most up to date information on the cable equations. Anyone doing research on that small area will find an enormous wealth of information here. It is good as a reference text on cable equation derivations. The book is based on lectures given by Thomas Weiss at MIT in Biophysics. It was a tough course I am sure. This book is for serious mathematical neuroscientists.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Self-contained!, August 12, 2001

By 

Jihwan Myung (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cellular Biophysics, Vol. 2: Electrical Properties (Hardcover)

Many books claim to be self-contained. A typical self-contained book usually has an appendix and breifly discusses some mathematical preliminaries, etc. that seldom helps a genuine beginner. A typical ``self-contained book'' is also somewhat thin to incorporate all the necessary background.

This is a THICK volume.

And, wow, this book shows you step-by-step how to get a solution of the cable equation. To be quite honest the approach was not entirely satisfactory nor is there any attempt to go beyond the passive membrane. However, I found many precious pieces that you cannot find in any other books. The only drawback is, I believe, this book is too thorough for a beginner. Nonetheless it makes a good reference book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most detailed and rigorous derivations available, December 23, 2007

By 

J. A. White - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cellular Biophysics, Vol. 2: Electrical Properties (Hardcover)

For derivations of the cable equation and single-channel models, this book is unmatched. On the down-side, the coverage of related experimental neurobiology is quite dated.