Nerve and Muscle

✍ Scribed by R. D. Keynes, D. J. Aidley

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 193
• Series: Studies in biology
• Edition: 3rd ed
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

An understanding of the physiology and function of nerve and muscle is fundamental to our knowledge of how the human body and the bodies of other animals function. In the third edition of this highly readable and concise introductory textbook, the authors begin with a discussion of the nature of nerve impulses as electrical events. They go on to consider communication between nerve cells via synaptic transmission, and finally discuss the nature of muscular contraction, relating muscle cellular structure to contractile function. This is a subject that continues to generate exciting discoveries and this edition includes new material that reflects this, including some of the experimental evidence. The reader will find up-to-date detail of the molecular structure of ion channels and the molecular basis of muscular contraction. Nerve and Muscle is essential reading for all students taking university courses in neurobiology, physiology, cell biology, and preclinical medicine.

✦ Table of Contents

Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
Publishers note......Page 14
Nervous systems......Page 15
The anatomy of a neuron......Page 16
Non-myelinated nerve fibres......Page 17
Myelinated nerve fibres......Page 20
Electrophysiological recording methods......Page 25
Intracellular recording of the membrane potential......Page 27
Extracellular recording of the nervous impulse......Page 29
Excitation......Page 33
Structure of the cell membrane......Page 39
Distribution of ions in nerve and muscle......Page 42
The genesis of the resting potential......Page 45
The Donnan equilibrium system in muscle......Page 47
The active transport of ions......Page 48
The sodium hypothesis......Page 55
Voltage-clamp experiments......Page 61
Patch-clamp studies......Page 71
cDNA sequencing studies......Page 73
The primary structure of voltage-gated ion channels......Page 75
The sodium gating current......Page 78
The screw-helical mechanism of voltage-gating......Page 80
The ionic selectivity of voltage-gated channels......Page 83
The spread of potential changes in a cable system......Page 87
Saltatory conduction in myelinated nerves......Page 89
Factors affecting conduction velocity......Page 95
Factors affecting the threshold for excitation......Page 96
After-potentials......Page 98
The neuromuscular junction......Page 100
Chemical transmission......Page 101
The end-plate potential......Page 103
Excitation of the muscle fibre......Page 104
The response to acetylcholine......Page 105
Ionic current flow during the end-plate potential......Page 106
Acetylcholine receptors and single channel responses......Page 108
The molecular structure of the acetylcholine receptor......Page 109
The quantal release of acetylcholine......Page 113
Facilitation and depression......Page 115
8 Synaptic transmission in the nervous system......Page 117
Synaptic excitation in motoneurons......Page 118
Excitatory postsynaptic potentials......Page 119
Inhibition in motoneurons......Page 121
Interaction of IPSPs with EPSPs......Page 123
Slow synaptic potentials......Page 124
G-protein-linked receptors......Page 127
Electrotonic synapses......Page 129
Anatomy......Page 132
Isometric and isotonic contractions......Page 134
Isometric twitch and tetanus......Page 135
Isotonic contractions......Page 138
Work and power......Page 141
Heat production......Page 142
The energy source......Page 144
Muscular exercise......Page 146
Muscular fatigue......Page 148
The effects of training......Page 149
Depolarization of the cell membrane......Page 150
Calcium ions......Page 151
Internal membrane systems......Page 152
The structure of the myofibril......Page 157
The lengths of the filaments......Page 160
The relation between sarcomere length and isometric tension......Page 161
Myosin......Page 163
Actin......Page 165
The interaction of actin, myosin and ATP......Page 166
The molecular basis of activation......Page 168
The cardiac action potential......Page 170
The spread of excitation......Page 174
The electrocardiogram......Page 175
Nervous control of the heart......Page 177
Smooth muscle......Page 178
Excitation......Page 179
Activation......Page 180
Contraction......Page 181
Further reading......Page 182
References......Page 183
Index......Page 189