This open access volume presents a novel computational framework for understanding how collections of excitable cells work. The key approach in the text is to model excitable tissue by representing the individual cells constituting the tissue. This is in stark contrast to the common approach where homogenization is used to develop models where the cells are not explicitly present. The approach allows for very detailed analysis of small collections of excitable cells, but computational challenges limit the applicability in the presence of large collections of cells.

What every neuroscientist should know about the mathematical modeling of excitable cells, presented at an introductory level.

This book presents a theoretical and practical overview of computational modeling in bioengineering, focusing on a range of applications including electrical stimulation of neural and cardiac tissue, implantable drug delivery, cancer therapy, biomechanics, cardiovascular dynamics, as well as fluid-structure interaction for modelling of organs, tissues, cells and devices. It covers the basic principles of modeling and simulation with ordinary and partial differential equations using MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics numerical software. The target audience primarily comprises postgraduate students and researchers, but the book may also be beneficial for practitioners in the medical device industry.

Calcium Entry Channels in Non-Excitable Cells focuses on methods of investigating the structure and function of non-voltage gated calcium channels. Each chapter presents important discoveries in calcium entry pathways, specifically dealing with the molecular identification of store-operated calcium channels which were reviewed by earlier volumes in the Methods in Signal Transduction series. Crystallographic and pharmacological approaches to the study of calcium channels of epithelial cells are also discussed. Calcium ion is a messenger in most cell types. Whereas voltage gated calcium channels have been studied extensively, the non-voltage gated calcium entry channel genes have only been identified relatively recently. The book will fill this important niche.

Electrostimulation is defined as the action of electrical energy on nerve and muscle OCo the two classes of excitable tissue. This cutting-edge resource offers you broad coverage of the subject, expanding the scope of electrostimulation discussions to include accidental, aversive, and possibly harmful biological effects of electrical energy. The book enables you to develop standards for human exposure to electric currents having various waveforms, determine classes of nerve fibers brought to excitation within specified regions of the body due to certain types of exposure, and quantify how harmonic distortions influence the excitability of sinusoidal extrostimulation. This practical reference also offers guidance in using the SENN (Spatially Extended Nonlinear Node) computer model that simulates the interaction of applied electric energy with myelinated neurons.Moreover, you learn how to compare efficacy and hazard potential of various stun weapons, assess unintended nerve stimulation from MRI exposure of patients with metallic implants, and compare the safety margins between electrostimulation thresholds of sensory and motor neurons relative to unintended cardiac excitation or painful sensory responses."

This is an updated and abridged edition of the original volume published in 2004. Like its predecessor it is targeted for students of bioengineering, biomedical engineering, applied physiology, biological cybernetics and related fields; for engineers and scientists who have an interest in neuroprosthetics; and for medical practitioners using products of that field.The practice of neuroprosthetics requires a fundamental understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, mathematical neurobiology, material science, electrochemistry, and electrophysiology. The text assumes some familiarity with basic anatomy, physiology, calculus, electrophysiology and bioinstrumentation, which typically are covered in undergraduate and first year graduate bioengineering curricula. These areas are also reviewed here, with the aim of consolidating principles fundamental to understanding the field. With that as background, the book then presents an overview of the field with detailed emphasis in selected areas of neural interfaces and neuroprostheses. The covered topics provide readers with sufficient information to understand the theory, rationale, design, and functioning of neuroprosthetic devices currently in clinical use and under development.The current volume is shorter than its predecessor. This has been achieved by reducing some of the repetition present in certain chapters of the earlier edition and eliminating a few chapters whose topics are now well covered in review literature readily available on the internet and elsewhere. Two chapters have been retained in their original versions to provide important background material, but the remaining chapters have either been revised by their original authors or replaced by new versions written by different authors. In addition new topics have been added to the section on existing systems.

This text explores the use of cellular automata in modeling pattern formation in biological systems. It describes several mathematical modeling approaches utilizing cellular automata that can be used to study the dynamics of interacting cell systems both in simulation and in practice. New in this edition are chapters covering cell migration, tissue development, and cancer dynamics, as well as updated references and new research topic suggestions that reflect the rapid development of the field. The book begins with an introduction to pattern-forming principles in biology and the various mathematical modeling techniques that can be used to analyze them. Cellular automaton models are then discussed in detail for different types of cellular processes and interactions, including random movement, cell migration, adhesive cell interaction, alignment and cellular swarming, growth processes, pigment cell pattern formation, tissue development, tumor growth and invasion, and Turing-type patterns and excitable media. In the final chapter, the authors critically discuss possibilities and limitations of the cellular automaton approach in modeling various biological applications, along with future research directions. Suggestions for research projects are provided throughout the book to encourage additional engagement with the material, and an accompanying simulator is available for readers to perform their own simulations on several of the models covered in the text. QR codes are included within the text for easy access to the simulator. With its accessible presentation and interdisciplinary approach, Cellular Automaton Modeling of Biological Pattern Formation is suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in mathematical biology, biological modeling, and biological computing. It will also be a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in applied mathematics, mathematical biology, computational physics, bioengineering, and computer science. PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION “An ideal guide for someone with a mathematical or physical background to start exploring biological modelling. Importantly, it will also serve as an excellent guide for experienced modellers to innovate and improve their methodologies for analysing simulation results.” —Mathematical Reviews

Vector analysis. Electrical sources and fields. Introduction to membrane biophysics. Action potentials. Propagation. Subthreshold stimuli. Extracelular fields. Membrane biophysics. The electrophysiology of the heart. The neuromuscular junction. Skeletal muscle. Functional neuromuscular stimulation.

This open access volume presents a novel computational framework for understanding how collections of excitable cells work. The key approach in the text is to model excitable tissue by representing the individual cells constituting the tissue. This is in stark contrast to the common approach where homogenization is used to develop models where the cells are not explicitly present. The approach allows for very detailed analysis of small collections of excitable cells, but computational challenges limit the applicability in the presence of large collections of cells.

This new, fully revised and expanded edition of Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes includes new chapters on fast chemical synapses, modulation through G protein coupled receptors and second messenger systems, molecules cloning, site directed mutagenesis, and cell biology. It begins with the classical biophysical work of Hodgkin and Huxley and then weaves a description of the known ionic channels together with their biological functions. The book continues by developing the physical and molecular principles needed for explaining permeation, gating, pharmacological modification, and molecular diversity, and ends with a discussion of channel evolution. Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes is written to be accessible and interesting to biological and physical scientists of all kinds.