The electrical membrane potential is an important property for the functioning of living cells. Temporal variations of this potential generated by synaptic interactions and expressed as nerve impulses are central for signaling within nervous systems. Because neuronal signaling has this electrical basis, electrophysiology underlies neurophysiology. The primary objective of the NeuroDynamix II text is to provide a deep introduction to neurophysiology. The approach is to introduce the elements of electrical circuits, batteries, resistors and capacitors, and to build on that foundation to reconstr ... More

The electrical membrane potential is an important property for the functioning of living cells. Temporal variations of this potential generated by synaptic interactions and expressed as nerve impulses are central for signaling within nervous systems. Because neuronal signaling has this electrical basis, electrophysiology underlies neurophysiology. The primary objective of the NeuroDynamix II text is to provide a deep introduction to neurophysiology. The approach is to introduce the elements of electrical circuits, batteries, resistors and capacitors, and to build on that foundation to reconstruct the parallel conductance model that Hodgkin and Huxley employed for resting potentials and nerve impulses. The text presents brief historical sketches of, and introduces students to the fundamental concepts of neurophysiology. Following each didactic presentation, modeling exercises-hands-on simulations-serve to deepen the reader's understanding of basic neurophysiological techniques, including intracellular recording and voltage-clamp recording. The computer models present experimental results dynamically; that is, results are displayed as they are generated, providing a sense of experimental verisimilitude. NeuroDynamix II embodies a tight interdependence between the didactic text and the free, online NDX II software. Section I provides explicit, illustrated introductions to electrical concepts, the properties of ion channels, resting and action potentials, synaptic interactions, and neuronal circuits. Each didactic chapter concludes with detailed “Lessons” that preconfigure NDX II models to illustrate and explore neurophysiological principles. Section II provides brief descriptions of seven integrated models, with complete glossaries of variable and parameter names and units. Section III presents a detailed description of the equations for each computer simulation, whereas Section IV summarizes numerical methods for solving the differential equations. The text concludes with a brief guide for accessing the online NDX II modeling program and a bibliography.