scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Journal ArticleDOI

A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve

28 Aug 1952-The Journal of Physiology (Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111))-Vol. 117, Iss: 4, pp 500-544
TL;DR: This article concludes a series of papers concerned with the flow of electric current through the surface membrane of a giant nerve fibre by putting them into mathematical form and showing that they will account for conduction and excitation in quantitative terms.
Abstract: This article concludes a series of papers concerned with the flow of electric current through the surface membrane of a giant nerve fibre (Hodgkinet al, 1952,J Physiol116, 424–448; Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952,J Physiol116, 449–566) Its general object is to discuss the results of the preceding papers (Section 1), to put them into mathematical form (Section 2) and to show that they will account for conduction and excitation in quantitative terms (Sections 3–6)

Content maybe subject to copyright    Report

Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This historical survey compactly summarizes relevant work, much of it from the previous millennium, review deep supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning & evolutionary computation, and indirect search for short programs encoding deep and large networks.

14,635 citations


Cites background from "A quantitative description of membr..."

  • ...Current GPUs, however, are little ovens, much hungrier for energy than biological brains, whose neurons efficiently communicate by brief spikes (FitzHugh, 1961; Hodgkin & Huxley, 1952; Nagumo, Arimoto, & Yoshizawa, 1962), and often remain quiet....

    [...]

  • ...Current GPUs, however, are little ovens, much hungrier for energy than biological brains, whose neurons efficiently communicate by brief spikes (Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952; FitzHugh, 1961; Nagumo et al., 1962), and often remain quiet....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The major concepts and results recently achieved in the study of the structure and dynamics of complex networks are reviewed, and the relevant applications of these ideas in many different disciplines are summarized, ranging from nonlinear science to biology, from statistical mechanics to medicine and engineering.

9,441 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of spatiotemporal pattern formation in systems driven away from equilibrium is presented in this article, with emphasis on comparisons between theory and quantitative experiments, and a classification of patterns in terms of the characteristic wave vector q 0 and frequency ω 0 of the instability.
Abstract: A comprehensive review of spatiotemporal pattern formation in systems driven away from equilibrium is presented, with emphasis on comparisons between theory and quantitative experiments. Examples include patterns in hydrodynamic systems such as thermal convection in pure fluids and binary mixtures, Taylor-Couette flow, parametric-wave instabilities, as well as patterns in solidification fronts, nonlinear optics, oscillatory chemical reactions and excitable biological media. The theoretical starting point is usually a set of deterministic equations of motion, typically in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations. These are sometimes supplemented by stochastic terms representing thermal or instrumental noise, but for macroscopic systems and carefully designed experiments the stochastic forces are often negligible. An aim of theory is to describe solutions of the deterministic equations that are likely to be reached starting from typical initial conditions and to persist at long times. A unified description is developed, based on the linear instabilities of a homogeneous state, which leads naturally to a classification of patterns in terms of the characteristic wave vector q0 and frequency ω0 of the instability. Type Is systems (ω0=0, q0≠0) are stationary in time and periodic in space; type IIIo systems (ω0≠0, q0=0) are periodic in time and uniform in space; and type Io systems (ω0≠0, q0≠0) are periodic in both space and time. Near a continuous (or supercritical) instability, the dynamics may be accurately described via "amplitude equations," whose form is universal for each type of instability. The specifics of each system enter only through the nonuniversal coefficients. Far from the instability threshold a different universal description known as the "phase equation" may be derived, but it is restricted to slow distortions of an ideal pattern. For many systems appropriate starting equations are either not known or too complicated to analyze conveniently. It is thus useful to introduce phenomenological order-parameter models, which lead to the correct amplitude equations near threshold, and which may be solved analytically or numerically in the nonlinear regime away from the instability. The above theoretical methods are useful in analyzing "real pattern effects" such as the influence of external boundaries, or the formation and dynamics of defects in ideal structures. An important element in nonequilibrium systems is the appearance of deterministic chaos. A greal deal is known about systems with a small number of degrees of freedom displaying "temporal chaos," where the structure of the phase space can be analyzed in detail. For spatially extended systems with many degrees of freedom, on the other hand, one is dealing with spatiotemporal chaos and appropriate methods of analysis need to be developed. In addition to the general features of nonequilibrium pattern formation discussed above, detailed reviews of theoretical and experimental work on many specific systems are presented. These include Rayleigh-Benard convection in a pure fluid, convection in binary-fluid mixtures, electrohydrodynamic convection in nematic liquid crystals, Taylor-Couette flow between rotating cylinders, parametric surface waves, patterns in certain open flow systems, oscillatory chemical reactions, static and dynamic patterns in biological media, crystallization fronts, and patterns in nonlinear optics. A concluding section summarizes what has and has not been accomplished, and attempts to assess the prospects for the future.

6,145 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Van der Pol's equation for a relaxation oscillator is generalized by the addition of terms to produce a pair of non-linear differential equations with either a stable singular point or a limit cycle, which qualitatively resembles Bonhoeffer's theoretical model for the iron wire model of nerve.

5,430 citations

Book
01 Oct 2006
TL;DR: This book explains the relationship of electrophysiology, nonlinear dynamics, and the computational properties of neurons, with each concept presented in terms of both neuroscience and mathematics and illustrated using geometrical intuition, providing a link between the two disciplines.
Abstract: This book explains the relationship of electrophysiology, nonlinear dynamics, and the computational properties of neurons, with each concept presented in terms of both neuroscience and mathematics and illustrated using geometrical intuition In order to model neuronal behavior or to interpret the results of modeling studies, neuroscientists must call upon methods of nonlinear dynamics This book offers an introduction to nonlinear dynamical systems theory for researchers and graduate students in neuroscience It also provides an overview of neuroscience for mathematicians who want to learn the basic facts of electrophysiology "Dynamical Systems in Neuroscience" presents a systematic study of the relationship of electrophysiology, nonlinear dynamics, and computational properties of neurons It emphasizes that information processing in the brain depends not only on the electrophysiological properties of neurons but also on their dynamical properties The book introduces dynamical systems starting with one- and two-dimensional Hodgkin-Huxley-type models and continuing to a description of bursting systems Each chapter proceeds from the simple to the complex, and provides sample problems at the end The book explains all necessary mathematical concepts using geometrical intuition; it includes many figures and few equations, making it especially suitable for non-mathematicians Each concept is presented in terms of both neuroscience and mathematics, providing a link between the two disciplines Nonlinear dynamical systems theory is at the core of computational neuroscience research, but it is not a standard part of the graduate neuroscience curriculum - or taught by math or physics department in a way that is suitable for students of biology This book offers neuroscience students and researchers a comprehensive account of concepts and methods increasingly used in computational neuroscience

3,683 citations

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is important to know whether the characteristic relation between action potential and resting potential holds over a wide range of temperature, and the use of an internal recording electrode facilitates this study.
Abstract: The effect of temperature on the electrical activity of nerve and muscle has been studied intermittently since the time of Bernstein (1902). Among the most important investigations are those of Lucas (1908), Verzar (1912), Adrian (1921), Gasser (1931), Bremer & Titeca (1933, 1946), Auger & Fessard (1936), Schoepfle & Erlanger (1941), Cardot & Arvanitaki (1941), Lorente de No (1947), Tasaki & Fujita (1948) and Lundberg (1948). There appears to be general agreement that the resting potential has a low temperature coefficient, but the evidence concerning the effect of temperature on spike amplitude is conflicting. The experiments of Gasser (1931) suggest that the temperature coefficient of the spike is large and positive, while those of Schoepfle & Erlanger (1941) indicate that it is small and negative. Recent work on the giant axon of the squid suggests that the effect of temperature should be examined with this preparation. In particular, it is important to know whether the characteristic relation between action potential and resting potential holds over a wide range of temperature. The use of an internal recording electrode facilitates this study, since membrane potentials can be measured directly and are independent of the amount of external short circuiting. Another important advantage of this technique is that the temperature of the preparation can be altered rapidly by changing the sea water in which the axon is immersed.

869 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The transverse impedance and the conductance are closely associated properties of the membrane, and their sudden changes constitute, or are due to, the activity which is responsible for the all-or-none law and the initiation and propagation of the nerve impulse.
Abstract: Alternating current impedance measurements have been made over a wide frequency range on the giant axon from the stellar nerve of the squid, Loligo pealii, during the passage of a nerve impulse. The transverse impedance was measured between narrow electrodes on either side of the axon with a Wheatstone bridge having an amplifier and cathode ray oscillograph for detector. When the bridge was balanced, the resting axon gave a narrow line on the oscillograph screen as a sweep circuit moved the spot across. As an impulse passed between impedance electrodes after the axon had been stimulated at one end, the oscillograph line first broadened into a band, indicating a bridge unbalance, and then narrowed down to balance during recovery. From measurements made during the passage of the impulse and appropriate analysis, it was found that the membrane phase angle was unchanged, the membrane capacity decreased about 2 per cent, while the membrane conductance fell from a resting value of 1000 ohm cm.2 to an average of 25 ohm cm.2 The onset of the resistance change occurs somewhat after the start of the monophasic action potential, but coincides quite closely with the point of inflection on the rising phase, where the membrane current reverses in direction, corresponding to a decrease in the membrane electromotive force. This E.M.F. and the conductance are closely associated properties of the membrane, and their sudden changes constitute, or are due to, the activity which is responsible for the all-or-none law and the initiation and propagation of the nerve impulse. These results correspond to those previously found for Nitella and lead us to expect similar phenomena in other nerve fibers.

526 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A formal analogy is found between the calculated membrane potential and the excitability defined by the two factor formulations of excitation and several excitation phenomena may be explained semi-quantitatively by further assuming the excitable proportional to the membrane potential.
Abstract: Previous measurements have shown that the electrical properties of the squid axon membrane are approximately equivalent to those of a circuit containing a capacity shunted by an inductance and a rectifier in series. Selective ion permeability of a membrane separating two electrolytes may be expected to give rise to the rectification. A quasi-crystalline piezoelectric structure of the membrane is a plausible explanation of the inductance. Some approximate calculations of behavior of an axon with these membrane characteristics have been made. Fair agreement is obtained with the observed constant current subthreshold potential and impedance during the foot of the action potential. In a simple case a formal analogy is found between the calculated membrane potential and the excitability defined by the two factor formulations of excitation. Several excitation phenomena may then be explained semi-quantitatively by further assuming the excitability proportional to the membrane potential. Some previous measurements and subthreshold potential and excitability observations are not consistent with the circuit considered and indicate that this circuit is only approximately equivalent to the membrane.

141 citations