The Synaptic Organization of the Brain

Book Description

It is widely recognized that the neural basis of brain function can be fully understood only by integrating many disciplines at many levels. Studies of synaptic organization are bringing about a quiet revolution in achieving this goal, as documented by this unique book over the past 30 years. In this fifth edition, the results of the mouse and human genome projects are incorporated for the first time. Molecular biologists interested in functional genomics and proteomics of the brain will find answers here to the critical questions: what are the cell and circuit functions of gene products? Also for the first time, the reader is oriented to supporting neuroscience databases. Among the new advances covered are 2-photon confocal laser microscopy of dendrites and dendritic spines, biochemical analyses, and dual patch and multielectrode recordings, applied together with an increasing range of behavioral and gene-targeting methods. Leading experts in the best understood brain regions bring together the molecular, anatomical, functional, and behavioral data in authoritative integrated accounts. The chapters are organized in the same format, covering the neural elements, synaptic connections, basic circuits, physiology, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, membrane properties, dendritic properties, and with a final section on how the circuits mediate specific behaviors. The uniform framework for each chapter enables the authors to higlight the principles that are common to all regions, as well as the adaptations unique to each, thus serving as a model for understanding the neural basis of behavior.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive book on neuroscience/cortical networks.......2007-05-14

This book provides a great understanding of the basic elements of brain and their interactions. It takes a radical approach of synaptic organization as the basis of brain functions. It is a must for everyone interested in neuro/brain/mind science.

A classic work now in its 5th edition.......2005-11-05

I became acquainted with this book when I read the first edition, way back in the late 70s when I was a neuroscience grad student. I remember how impressed I was that here, for the first time really, different areas of the brain could be analyzed and compared by how the neurons wired up with each other. Later in life as a young neurologist I read through the 3rd edition, and now as a more seasoned one I've just finished reading the fifth. The book has maintained its basic organizational structure while greatly expanding its content, sometimes to the detriment of clarity being lost in the details, which is why I took off a star. The first two chapters are very helpful, with one of the best discussions of different ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors in the context of neural cell physiology I've seen. In subsequent chapters the basic circuitry of the spinal cord, cochlear nucleus, olfactory bulb, retina, cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia, olfactory cortex, hippocampus and cerebral cortex are discussed in similar fashion. First the neuronal elements--cell types--are defined, then the basic anatomy of the area, then the synaptic connections between different types of neurons, then the anatomy of the circuitry, then the physiology of the synaptic actions. Finally an attempt is made to relate all of these basics to how the brain area functions for the organism.
As others have pointed out, the book requires concentration to read, even to somebody with my long background. But it is rewarding to see how far the field has come in the nearly 30 years I've been studying it. It's only marginally clinically relevant for a neurologist, but for basic neuroscientists I'd consider it a must read.

The Synaptic View of Brain Function.......2004-06-11

This is a very good neurophysiology book from the morphological and physiological viewpoints. It's inexpensive and well written. Thanks Gordon.

Marvelous book for the brain aficionado ..........2004-03-17

This is an excellent book: clear, well-organized, and well-written. It examines how groups of neurons give rise to brain functions. The introductory chapter lays the groundwork, going over basic theories of how groups of cells perform computations and what mechanisms they use to do it. Subsequent chapters stand alone, each with a focus on a particular brain region (hippocampus, basal ganglia, cortex, thalamus, retina, etc.).

I agree with an earlier reviewer: this book is not for the uninitiated, although it is spectacularly helpful for theoretical neuroscientists who are modeling cell assemblies as well as experimentalists working at the cell or systems level. However, I disagree with his list of good introductory books. "Principles of Neural Science" in particular is a good reference but not terribly readable. I would recommend Nicholls' "From Neuron to Brain" as a more accessible book about brain function. The Scientific American series, including "The Scientific American Book of the Brain," is quite good factually and provides a more general overview including some psychology, but the quality of the writing varies. Finally, for kicks, a newcomer should try the enjoyable, controversial "How the Mind Works" by Stephen Pinker. He is biased and arrogant, but also clever and entertaining.

^^*.......2001-09-08

my brain study group used this book for textbook. my major is traditional chinese medicine treatment of neurology disease, so i need some neuroscience part. this book is not easy reading, but this book gaved me many information for neuroscience.

Communication in Plants: Neuronal Aspects of Plant Life

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Communication in Plants: Neuronal Aspects of Plant Life

Manufacturer: Springer
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Binding: Hardcover

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Plant Physiology

ASIN: 3540284753

Book Description

Plant neurobiology is a newly emerging field of plant sciences. It covers signalling and communication at all levels of biological organization – from molecules up to ecological communities. In this book, plants are presented as intelligent and social organisms with complex forms of communication and information processing.

Authors from diverse backgrounds such as molecular and cellular biology, electrophysiology, as well as ecology treat the most important aspects of plant communication, including the plant immune system, abilities of plants to recognize self, signal transduction, receptors, plant neurotransmitters and plant neurophysiology. Further, plants are able to recognize the identity of herbivores and organize the defence responses accordingly. The similarities in animal and plant neuronal/immune systems are discussed too. All these hidden aspects of plant life and behaviour will stimulate further intense investigations in order to understand the communicative plants in their whole complexity.

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Very Sophisticated
excellent

Synapses

Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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Dendrites
The Neuron: Cell and Molecular Biology
The Synaptic Organization of the Brain
Principles of Neural Science
Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes (3rd Edition)

ASIN: 0801864984

Book Description

Edited by W. Maxwell Cowan, Thomas C. Südhof, and Charles F. Stevens, this volume provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of a century of research on synaptic structure and function culminating in the most recent work. Written by leading experts in the field, Synapses will be of interest to a broad range of neuroscientists, including those studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission, learning and memory, neuronal plasticity, neurotransmitters, and synaptic morphology. It will also be an essential reference for students and biomedical professionals in all areas of neuroscience.

Customer Reviews:

Very Sophisticated.......2006-01-27

The editors did a wonderful job of putting together many review articles on synaptic structure, synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. There is so much about synapses in this book ranging from the early work of Katz to the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of LTP. Of particular interest is the Chapter by Grimwood, Martin, and Morris on Synaptic plasticity and Memory that was published in the Annual Review of Neuroscience; great ideas. Highly recommended for people who work on/are interested in synapses.

excellent.......2003-03-06

Excellent book. I am a graduate student in neuroscience, and am currently using this book as a text for a course. All of the chapters (papers) are very well written by experts in the field, yet at the same time are very easy to understand with only basic neuroscience/biological knowledge. Although it's not my area, I believe synaptic plasticity will explode with implications and explanations for psychological phenomena.

Nerve Endings: The Discovery of the Synapse

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Neuroscience history
On the shoulders of giants
An Interesting and Easy Read
History in the making, the discovery of the synapse
An intriguing survey of parallel lives and very different perspectives

Nerve Endings: The Discovery of the Synapse
Richard Rapport
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute Over How Nerves Communicate
In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
Origins of Neuroscience: A History of Explorations into Brain Function
Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries
Recollections of My Life

ASIN: 0393060195

Book Description

A remarkable tale of how a lone researcher in the Spanish countryside discovered how brain cells communicate.

Two doctors, the Spaniard Cajal and the Italian Golgi, were racing against each other to find out what brain cells looked like and how they managed to communicate with one another. Both did their most important research in labs set up on their kitchen tables, for lack of better facilities; and both made landmark findings that led to their jointly receiving the 1906 Nobel Prize. Yet one man would find that neurons communicated over a gap, later named the "synapse," while the other would die convinced that every brain cell connected to the next. From Parkinson's to neurosurgery, from the mechanics of memory to clinical depression, modern medicine is ever indebted to the one who interpreted the elusive—and rather extraordinary—anatomy of the nerve cell. This is the story not only of one of the nineteenth century's greatest discoveries but also of the frailty, perseverance, and creativity of human beings. 13 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Neuroscience history.......2007-05-13

One of the best ways to learn a science is to learn the history of that science. Like "In Search of Memory", "Nerve Endings" is a biographical work about the life and scientific contributions of a Nobel prizing winning neuroscientist. The author documents the 19th century debate about the existence and purpose of the synapse and the personal rivalry between Dr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Dr. Camillo Golgi. I would recommend this book to any neuroscience student.

On the shoulders of giants.......2007-01-07

In this engaging and well written book, part history of science, part biography, Rapport focuses on the intellectual war that eventually led to the discovery of the neuron theory. The neuron theory - the idea that the nervous system consists of discrete cellular units (neurons) - was one of the key, early discoveries of neuroscience. It has radically accelerated our understanding of how the brain works and it has since had wide-ranging implications, for neurosurgery, psychiatry and other fields.

At heart of the story lie two characters: a charismatic Spanish artist and scientist, Santiago Ramon y Cajal and an equally brilliant, but dogmatic, Italian scientist, Camillo Golgi. These two men (both of whom were awarded the Nobel prize in 1906) were the representatives of two opposing scientific camps who were engaged in an acrimonious intellectual battle during the second half of the 19th century. The point of contention was the structural anatomy of the nervous system. Cajal represented the `neuronist' camp, who claimed that the nervous system consisted of individual cellular units that communicated with one another across tiny gaps (these gaps are called synapses). In contrast, Golgi headed the `reticularists' who held that the entire nervous system was linked in one giant network, that there were no individual cells that were separated from each other.

Besides making many important discoveries in the field of biology (discovery of the Golgi apparatus, the Golgi tendon organ) Camillo Golgi also invented a method for preparing slides of nervous tissue - called silver (Golgi) staining. Silver staining allowed scientists to begin making detailed analyses of nervous tissue for the first time, using light microscopes. Golgi contributed much to the early study of neurohistology, but he confused certain branching neuronal processes (the axon collaterals) for widely ramifying protrusions that he thought connected the entire nervous system in one large network. He used this observation to support his erroneous reticularist theory; at the same time, Cajal was using and improving Golgi's silver staining method to develop the opposing (and as it turns out, correct) theory of neuronal structure. Cajal was a visionary genius, "fascinated by the bewitchment of the infinitely small." His contribution to neuroanatomy is immeasurable. He used his considerable artistic skills to complete extremely detailed drawings of the nervous system that were used in textbooks for years to come. Unlike Golgi, Cajal did not think that the nerve cells were all connected in one diffuse net. He deduced the existence of the synaptic gap from the way that the terminal axons of presynaptic neurons and the dendrites of postsynaptic neurons appeared to fit each other so well (the synapse was not actually seen until the arrival of electron microscopy in the first half of the twentieth century).
But more than helping to clarify the anatomy of the nervous system, Cajal was remarkably prescient in putting forth theories about the physiology of the nervous system as well. He formulated the law of dynamic polarization, which says that the current flow within neurons is unidirectional - electrical signals are received at the dendrites, sent to the cell body and then conducted along the length of the axon. (This law is actually not quite correct but it still remains a basic principle of neural function and is presented in all neuroscience textbooks). Cajal also speculated about the chemical nature of inter-neuronal communication and made predictions about the ways in which neurons grow from their neuroblast precursors.
The significance of Cajal's work was by no means immediate, among other reasons because of national chauvinism. Cajal was a Spaniard and in 19th century science it was mainly Germany, Italy and France who dictated the intellectual landscape. The amazing thing about Cajal is that he made many of his great discoveries working in solitude, his important publications being ignored for years.

This book is a great companion-piece to Elliot Valenstein's "The War of the Soups and Sparks" and should be read prior to that book as it covers chronologically earlier events. Both books will be of great interest to those involved in the neurosciences. Both books also do a great job of showing how science develops in particular sociohistorical and technological contexts and how it is shaped by the personalities and temperaments of its practitioners.

An Interesting and Easy Read.......2006-07-23

This book provides a highly readable review of the emergence of the so-called "Neuron Doctrine." Roughly speaking this doctrine claims that neurons are anatomically distinct and constitute independent functional units. In revised forms the Neuron Doctrine and related principles like "the Law of Dynamic Depolarization" still appear to form part of neuroscience's theoretical back-bone. (As witnessed by their explicit introduction in text books like Kandel et als "Principles of Neural Science."

The book focuses on the life and work of Cajal, to whom early evidence for the Doctrine is often attributed, and on Cajal's controversy with Golgi. The latter was a "reticularist" who thought that neurons form a continuous network or "reticulum."

While "Nerve Endings" is a fun and easy read, readers who are interested in the precise content of the Neuron Doctrine, how it has been interpreted in different ways, and how it is to a certain extent currently being revised may want to look elsewhere, as there is relatively little discussion of this. (See e.g. Bullock et al "The Neuron Doctrine, Redux", Science Vol 310, 4 Nov 2005. Jones "Golgi, Cajal and the Neuron Doctrine", Journal of the History of the Neurosciences Vol 8, no 2, 1999)

I would also have preferred to have references to litterature in the main text rather than have to look up the page numbers in the final "notes" section.

These are minor complaints, however, and the book is certainly a fine introduction to the life of a great scientist and an exciting period in the history of neuroscience!

History in the making, the discovery of the synapse.......2006-02-20

A very well written, and nicely illustrated history of the early years of research on the synapse, illuminating the differences in opinion between Ramon y Cajal and Golgi. Which controversy, in the end, has overshadowed the multitude of work Golgi did.

An intriguing survey of parallel lives and very different perspectives.......2005-10-05

Dr. Richard Rappaport's study of the discovery of the nerve synapse Nerve Endings also presents the story of two doctors who shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1906 yet were separated by geographical and psychological differences. The parallel lives and discoveries of Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi provides an intriguing survey of two men whose similar discoveries and investigative processes led to the science of neurosurgery and better understanding of neurological diseases. An intriguing survey of parallel lives and very different perspectives.

Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission: Bridging the Gaps (1890-1990)

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Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission: Bridging the Gaps (1890-1990)
Joseph D. Robinson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Synaptic transmission plays a central role in the nervous system as the mechanism that allows for chemical and electrical communication between cells and thus connects discrete elements into the functioning whole. This is a broad account of anatomical, biochemical, embryological, medical, pathological, pharmacological, and physiological studies on synaptic transmission during the hundred years beginning in 1890. During this century, the process of synaptic transmission came to be recognized not only as the most fundamental neurophysiological process, but also as a seat of pathological changes, and as the predominant site of action for drugs used to treat a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. At the same time, research from these various disciplines was transformed into a new and unifying field, neuroscience. The course of these investigations reveals ingenious experiments, powerful new techniques, and imaginative insights. The author describes broadly who did what, when, where, and how (and, in cases where it is apparent, why) and uses experimental results and interpretations to display the evolutionary course to our current understanding of how nerve cells communicate: the basic principle of neural functioning. The book will be of interest to basic and clinical neuroscientists, pharmacologists, and physiologists, to historians and philosophers of the life sciences and medicine, and to their respective students.

From Sound to Synapse: Physiology of the Mammalian Ear

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How we hear

From Sound to Synapse: Physiology of the Mammalian Ear
C. Daniel Geisler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Psychophysics: The Fundamentals
An Introduction to the Psychology of Hearing, Fifth Edition
Cochlear Implants: A Practical Guide
Hearing, Second Edition: Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Auditory System
Acoustic Immittance Measures in Clinical Audiology: A Primer

ASIN: 0195100255

Book Description

This comprehensive introduction to the functions of the mammalian ear describes the major steps by which sound is transformed into nerve impulses. The author leads the reader along the pathway followed by the acoustic signal. He starts with the collection of sound by the outer ear, proceeds to its transfer by the middle ear, and finally analyzes its modification in the inner ear, where the sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses. The book concludes with descriptions of some common ear impairments and a brief survey of the treatments available for them. At each stage of the ear's sound processing, Professor Geisler discusses the basic mechanisms, covering current theories and illustrating the discussions with experimental data. Although he uses an extensive array of analogies and mathematical models, he considers only the basic theory and the outputs of the models, not their derivation or formal usage. Where appropriate, related mechanisms in the ears of other vertebrates are considered. From Sound to Synapse is written in lucid, accessible style that makes no assumptions about the scientific background of the reader apart from a basic familiarity with pulse generation by neurons. It will be of value to researchers and students in sensory physiology, neurophysiology, acoustics, bioengineering, psychoacoustics, and neuroscience. It will also benefit neurologists, audiologists, otolaryngologists, and other clinicians interested in a more detailed description of sound processing.

Customer Reviews:

How we hear.......2000-03-27

"From Sound to Synapse" describes the transformation of sound waves into neural impulses that is performed by the mammalian ear. The story begins with the arrival of sound waves at the external ear and eventually leads to a characterization of the response of primary auditory neurons to speech sounds. Along the way, the basic mechanisms of the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear are discussed, using experimental observations of vertebrate ears and computed results of theoretical models to illustrate the discussion. Geisler's fascination with the mammalian ear is evident in the way he reveals new insights to the reader. His comprehensive overview provides a good theoretical basis for understanding the various processes involved in hearing.

Product Description

This book brings the characters from the Cogno board games to life as a detective dream team. They encounter new friends and new villains as they solve puzzling mysteries across our galaxy. Why is the series unique? Real science and technology ideas are woven through the fictional stories. Then, a special section after each story, called "Fact, Future, or Fantasy," helps separate fact from fiction for the reader. 250 page book. Foreward is by Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Customer Reviews:

A decent story for kids, but not a good source of science.......2007-09-07

The covers of the Cogno books claim to offer science as well as science fiction, but despite blurbs from NASA astronauts and Bill Nye the Science Guy, the science content is low, and the science errors are widespread. This is a perfectly serviceable science fantasy story, and my 10-year-old enjoys it on that level, but the author doesn't seem to have a particularly good command of science. For example, he has a space ship repair robot, meant to work in vacuum, use suction cups. (Suction cups work by creating a vacuum, which works because outside air pressure, of which there is none in space, holds the suction cup onto the surface.) And while he gives brief lip service to the problems of interstellar travel, he literally has spaceships travelling from one star system to another in two minutes (even when he's not using his science fantasy hyperspace approach). A decent story, but you might want to caution your kids against taking any of the science seriously.

Methods in Neuronal Modeling: From Synapses to Networks (Computational Neuroscience)

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Good introduction to Neuronal Modeling, maybe outdated.

Methods in Neuronal Modeling: From Synapses to Networks (Computational Neuroscience)
Christof Koch
Manufacturer: Bradford Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Biophysics of Computation: Information Processing in Single Neurons (Computational Neuroscience)

ASIN: 0262111330

Customer Reviews:

Good introduction to Neuronal Modeling, maybe outdated........2003-12-05

I read this book as part of a Robotics Research project. It is a good introduction to Neuronal Modeling, and it was the first technical handbook of computational neuroscience. The book is a series of 13 articles on topics such as computer simulations of neural circuits, biophysical mechanisms for computation in neurons, etc. Each chapter concludes with a description of the model discussed and the details of its implementation on the computer. Since it is a series of articles, with many authors, the book feels a little bit fragmented. However, it is put together nicely and must have been skillfully edited. The book is easy to read, as well as interesting.

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This reference describes almost 3800 trade name and generic chemicals used to prevent and remove corrosion and rust.Coverage includes chemicals that function as:Acid inhibitors; Antideposition aids; Corrosion inhibitors; Corrosion and rust intermediates; Dispersants; Film-formers; Rust inhibitors; Rust removers; Neutralizers; Metal deactivators; Oxygen scavengers; pH adjusters; Phosphatizers; Protectants; Scale inhibitors; Water repellentsIn these Application Areas:Boiler water systems; Cement/Concrete; Consumer packaging; Cooling water systems; Dry cleaning processes; Ferrous/Nonferrous metals; Food processing; Fuel additives; Industrial/Consumer equipment; Lubricating systems Metalworking fluids; Oil field applications; Paints/Coatings Pigments Pulp/Paper processing; Wastewater treatment

Cell Communication in Nervous and Immune System (Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation)

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Cell Communication in Nervous and Immune System (Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Immunology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

At first glance, the nervous and immune systems appear very different. However, both systems have developed mechanisms for memory formation – though of quite different quality and significance for the organism. One striking example is that both systems form and communicate via synapses armed with similar sets of proteins. This collection of reviews, contributed by internationally recognized immunologists and molecular and cellular neurobiologists, puts side by side cellular communication devices and signaling mechanisms in the immune and nervous systems and discusses mechanisms of interaction between the two systems, the significance of which has only recently been fully appreciated.

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