
Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology
- 5th Edition - May 30, 2024
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Author: Constance Hammond
- Language: English
- Hardback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 8 8 1 1 - 7
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 8 6 1 3 - 7
Unveiling the latest research in neurophysiology, Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, Fifth Edition continues to stand as the only resource in the field. This book remains the… Read more

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Request a sales quoteUnveiling the latest research in neurophysiology, Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, Fifth Edition continues to stand as the only resource in the field. This book remains the standard for those who seek to explore the intricate molecular and cellular physiology of neurons and synapses.
Notably, this new edition delves even deeper into the molecular properties and functions of excitable cells, offering unparalleled insights. In this edition, there are two groundbreaking chapters. The first reviews metabotropic receptors for olfactory transduction, while the second presents cutting-edge techniques for neuroscience research. Hypothesis-driven rather than a dry presentation of facts, the content firmly based on numerous experiments performed by top experts in the field, teaches students how to build and conduct intelligent research experiments.
This book promotes a true understanding of nerve cell function and will be a useful resource for practicing neurophysiologists, neurobiologists, neurologists, and students in a graduate-level course on the topic alike.
- Authoritative foundational coverage of basic cellular and molecular neurophysiology
- Includes new chapters on metabotropic olfactory receptors for sensory transduction and experimental techniques used by neurophysiologists
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Section I. Neurons: Excitable and secretory cells that establish synapses
- Chapter 1. Neurons
- 1.1. Neurons have a cell body from which emerge two types of processes: the dendrites and the axon
- 1.2. Neurons are highly polarized cells with a differential distribution of organelles and proteins
- 1.3. Neurons are categorized based on their molecular signature, morphology, connectivity and physiology
- 1.4. Axonal transport allows bidirectional communication between the cell body and the axon terminals
- 1.5. Neurons connected by synapses form networks or circuits
- 1.6. Summary: the neuron is an excitable and secretory cell presenting an extreme functional regionalization
- Chapter 2. Neuron–glial cell cooperation
- 2.1. Astrocytes are in a unique position between blood vessels and synapses
- 2.2. Oligodendrocytes form the myelin sheaths of axons in the central nervous system and contribute to cellular and functional plasticity
- 2.3. Microglial cells
- Chapter 3. Ionic gradients, membrane potential and ionic currents
- 3.1. There is an unequal distribution of ions across the neuronal plasma membrane. The notion of concentration gradient
- 3.2. There is a difference of potential between the two faces of the membrane, called membrane potential (Vm)
- 3.3. Concentration gradients and membrane potential determine the direction of the passive movements of ions through ionic channels: the Electrochemical gradient
- 3.4. The passive diffusion of ions through an open channel creates a current
- 3.5. A particular membrane potential, the resting membrane potential, Vrest
- 3.6. A simple equivalent electrical circuit for the membrane at rest
- 3.7. Summary
- Appendix 3.1 The active transport of ions by pumps and transporters maintain the unequal distribution of ions (Fig. A3.1)
- Appendix 3.2 The passive diffusion of ions through an open channel
- Appendix 3.3 The Nernst equation
- Chapter 4. The voltage-gated channels of Na+ action potentials
- 4.1. Properties of action potentials
- 4.2. The depolarization phase of Na+-dependent action potentials results from the transient entry of Na+ ions through voltage-gated Na+ channels
- 4.3. The Repolarization phase of the sodium-dependent action potential results from Na+ channel inactivation and partly from K+ channel activation
- 4.4. Sodium-dependent action potentials are initiated at the axon initial segment in response to a Membrane depolarization and then actively propagate along the axon
- Chapter 5. The voltage-gated channels of Ca2+ action potentials: generalization
- 5.1. Properties of Ca2+-dependent action potentials
- 5.2. The transient entry of Ca2+ ions through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels is responsible for the depolarizing phase or the plateau phase of Ca2+-dependent action potentials
- 5.3. The repolarization phase of Ca2+-dependent action potentials results from the activation of K+ currents IK and IKCa
- 5.4. Calcium-dependent action potentials are initiated in axon terminals and in dendrites
- 5.5. A note on voltage-gated channels and action potentials
- Chapter 6. The chemical synapses
- 6.1. The synaptic complex's three components: presynaptic element, synaptic cleft, and postsynaptic element
- 6.2. The interneuronal synapses of the central nervous system
- 6.3. The neuromuscular junction is the group of synaptic contacts between the terminal arborization of a motor axon and a striated muscle fiber
- 6.4. The synapse between the vegetative postganglionic neuron and the smooth muscle cell
- 6.5. Example of a neuroglandular synapse
- 6.6. Summary
- Appendix 6.1 Neurotransmitters, agonists, and antagonists
- Chapter 7. Neurotransmitter release
- 7.1. The concept of vesicular release. Observations and questions
- 7.2. The molecular machinery underlying the synaptic vesicle cycle
- 7.3. The regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration at active zones
- 7.4. The different pools of synaptic vesicle
- 7.5. Pharmaclogy of neurotransmitter release
- 7.6. Summary
- Appendix 7.1: Quantal nature of neurotransmitter release
- Appendix 7.2: Methods of neurotransmitter release measurements
- Appendix 7.3: Variance analysis and quantification of parameters of neurotransmitter release
- Appendix 7.4: Lipids as novel actors in neurotransmitter release
- Appendix 7.5: SNAREopathies
- Section II. Ionotropic and metabotropic receptors in synaptic transmission
- Chapter 8. The ionotropic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
- 8.1. Observations
- 8.2. The torpedo or muscle nicotinic receptor of acetylcholine is a heterologous pentamer α2βγδ or α2βεδ
- 8.3. Binding of two acetylcholine molecules favors conformational change of the protein toward the open state of the cationic channel
- 8.4. The nicotinic receptor desensitizes
- 8.5. nAChR-mediated synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction
- 8.6. Nicotinic transmission pharmacology
- 8.7. Neuronal nicotinic receptors and interneuronal nicotinic synaptic transmission
- 8.8. Summary
- Chapter 9. The ionotropic GABAA receptor
- 9.1. Observations and questions
- 9.2. GABAA receptors are hetero-oligomeric proteins with a structural heterogeneity
- 9.3. Binding of two GABA molecules leads to a conformational change of the GABAA receptor into an open state; the GABAA receptor desensitizes
- 9.4. Pharmacology of the GABAA receptor
- 9.5. GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission
- 9.6. Summary
- Appendix 9.1 Mean open time and mean burst duration of the GABAA single-channel current
- Appendix 9.2 Noninvasive measurements of membrane potential and of the reversal potential of the GABAA current using cell-attached recordings of single channels
- Chapter 10. The ionotropic glutamate receptors
- 10.1. There are three different types of ionotropic glutamate receptors. They have a common structure and all participate in fast glutamatergic synaptic transmission
- 10.2. AMPA receptors are an ensemble of cationic receptor-channels with different permeabilities to Ca2+ ions
- 10.3. Kainate receptors are an ensemble of cationic receptor channels with different permeabilities to Ca2+ ions
- 10.4. NMDA receptors are cationic-receptor-channels highly permeable to Ca2+ ions; they are blocked by Mg2+ ions at voltages close to the resting potential, which confers strong voltage dependence
- 10.5. Synaptic responses to glutamate are mediated by NMDA and nonNMDA receptors
- 10.6. Summary
- Chapter 11. The metabotropic GABAB receptors
- 11.1. Introduction
- 11.2. GABAB receptors were originally discovered because of their insensitivity to bicuculline and their sensitivity to baclofen
- 11.3. Structure of the GABAB receptor
- 11.4. GABAB receptor pharmacology
- 11.5. Summary
- 11.6. GABAB receptors are G-protein-coupled to a variety of different effector mechanisms
- 11.7. Summary
- 11.8. The functional role of GABAB receptors in synaptic activity
- 11.9. Summary
- Chapter 12. The metabotropic glutamate receptors
- 12.1. The identification of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes
- 12.2. How do metabotropic glutamate receptors carry out their function? Structure–function studies of metabotropic glutamate receptors
- 12.3. How to identify selective compounds acting at the metabotropic glutamate receptor—toward the Development of new therapeutic drugs
- 12.4. What biochemical means do metabotropic glutamate receptors utilize to elicit physiological changes in the nervous system? Signal transduction studies of metabotropic glutamate receptors
- 12.5. How is the activity of metabotropic glutamate receptors modulated? Studies of mGluR desensitization
- 12.6. Metabotropic glutamate receptors modulate neuronal excitability
- 12.7. Metabotropic glutamate receptors mediate and modulate synaptic transmission
- 12.8. Pre- and postsynaptic functional assembly of metabotropic glutamate receptors
- 12.9. Physiological roles of metabotropic glutamate receptor—a study of knockout models
- 12.10. Summary
- Chapter 13. The metabotropic olfactory receptors
- 13.1. General view on olfactory transduction
- 13.2. Odorants bind to specific odorant receptors
- 13.3. The second messenger cAMP opens a cyclic nucleotide gated channel and generates an inward cationic current
- 13.4. The third messenger, intracellular Ca2+ ions, activates a calcium-sensitive chloride channel and generates an inward chloride current
- 13.5. The transduction current is transient and shows adaptation
- 13.6. Coding of odorant concentration
- 13.7. Summary
- Section III. Somato-dendritic processing and plasticity of postsynaptic potentials
- Chapter 14. Somatodendritic processing of postsynaptic potentials I: passive properties of dendrites
- 14.1. Propagation of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials through the dendritic arborization
- 14.2. Summation of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials
- 14.3. Summary
- Chapter 15. Subliminal voltage-gated currents of the somatodendritic membrane
- 15.1. Observations and questions
- 15.2. The subliminal voltage-gated currents that depolarize the membrane
- 15.3. The subliminal voltage-gated currents that hyperpolarize the membrane
- 15.4. General conclusion
- Chapter 16. Somatodendritic processing of postsynaptic potentials II. Role of subthreshold voltage-gated currents
- 16.1. Persistent Na+ channels are present in the axosomatic region of neocortical neurons; INaP boosts EPSPs
- 16.2. T-type Ca2+ channels are present in the dendrites of cortical neurons; ICaT boosts EPSPs
- 16.3. The hyperpolarization-activated cationic channels are present in dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons; Ih has a dual action on EPSPs
- 16.4. A-type K+ channels are present in the dendrites of hippocampal neurons; IA attenuates EPSPs
- 16.5. Functional consequences
- 16.6. Conclusions
- Chapter 17. Somatodendritic processing of postsynaptic potentials III. Role of high-voltage–activated currents
- 17.1. High-voltage–activated Na+ and/or Ca2+ channels are present in the dendritic membrane of some CNS neurons, but are they distributed with comparable densities in soma and dendrites?
- 17.2. High-voltage–activated Ca2+ channels are present in the dendritic membrane of some CNS neurons, but are they distributed with comparable densities in soma and dendrites?
- 17.3. Functional consequences
- 17.4. Conclusions
- Chapter 18. Firing patterns of neurons
- 18.1. Spiny projection neurons of the striatum
- 18.2. Inferior olivary cells
- 18.3. Purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex
- 18.4. Thalamic and subthalamic neurons
- 18.5. Summary
- Chapter 19. Synaptic plasticity
- 19.1. Short-term potentiation: example of the cholinergic synaptic response of muscle cell to motoneuron stimulation
- 19.2. Long-term potentiation: example of the glutamatergic synaptic response of pyramidal neurons of the CA1 region of the hippocampus to Schaffer collateral activation
- 19.3. Long-term depression: example of the glutamatergic synaptic response of Purkinje cells of the cerebellum to parallel fiber stimulation
- 19.4. Short- and long-term depression mediated by endogenous cannabinoids
- 19.5. Spike-timing-dependent plasticity, a long-term plasticity induced by relative timing between pre- and postsynaptic spikes
- 19.6. The homeostatic plasticity example of the synaptic scaling at the glutamatergic synapses of the neocortex
- Section IV. The hippocampal network
- Chapter 20. The adult hippocampal network
- 20.1. Observations and questions
- 20.2. The hippocampal circuitry
- 20.3. Activation of Interneurons evokes inhibitory gabaergic responses in postsynaptic pyramidal cells
- 20.4. Activation of Pyramidal neurons evokes excitatory glutamatergic responses in postsynaptic interneurons and in other pyramidal neurons (synchronization in CA3)
- 20.5. Oscillations in the hippocampal network: example of sharp waves and ripples
- 20.6. Coding properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons during spatial exploration
- Chapter 21. Morphogenesis and maturation of the hippocampal network
- 21.1. Hippocampal circuits are sculpted by development
- 21.2. GABAergic neurons and synapses develop prior to glutamatergic ones
- 21.3. GABA receptors-mediated responses differ in developing and mature brain neurons
- 21.4. Maturation of coherent network activities
- 21.5. Concluding remarks
- Chapter 22. Chapter techniques
- 22.1. Identification and localization of neurotransmitters and their receptors (Monique Esclapez)
- 22.2. Patch clamp recording techniques (Constance Hammond)
- 22.3. How to depolarize or hyperpolarize the recorded membrane?
- 22.4. Optogenetic or chemogenetic excitation or inhibition of tagged neurons in a network (Clement Menuet and Andrew Allen)
- 22.5. Imaging intracellular calcium changes (François Michel)
- Index
- Edition: 5
- Published: May 30, 2024
- Imprint: Academic Press
- No. of pages: 590
- Language: English
- Hardback ISBN: 9780323988117
- eBook ISBN: 9780323986137
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