The Neuron: Cell and Molecular Biology Book

Intended for use by advanced undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, The Neuron: Cell and Molecular Biology is a fascinating study of the unique biochemical and physiological properties of neurons, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms that generate and regulate their activity. There have been enormous advances in neuroscience in the five years since the first edition was published, and the authors have revised all their chapters to keep abreast of the progress. What was formerly the first chapter has been expanded substantially and divided into two separate chapters to emphasize features of the cell biology of neurons and glia and their commonalities with other kinds of cells. The section on intracellular communication has also been expanded and reorganized. The authors introduce the concept of ion channels as specialized membrane proteins at an early stage, making it easier to understand the idea of selective membrane permeability in terms of the properties of particular ion channel proteins. In addition, they emphasize the astonishing diversity of the voltage-dependent ion channels that has become evident in recent years, and discuss the implications of this diversity for neuronal physiology. In the section on intercellular communication, the chapter on secretion of neurotransmitters has also been rewritten to reflect the new level of understanding of secretion that has resulted from identification of many of the molecular players in vesicle fusion and exocytosis. Here again, information from many kinds of cells, including lower eukaryotes, has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of secretion. The remaining chapters in the section on intercellular communication have also been revised thoroughly to include new information resulting from the cloning and characterization of the multitude of glutamate receptors as well as to describe novel elements of intracellular signaling pathways in neurons and other cells. Finally, the last section has been substantially revised since molecular studies of development and plasticity have also been exceptionally fruitful during the last five years. As more and more of the molecular entities that are essential for neuronal development and adult plasticity are identified and characterized, phenomena that previously could be studied only at the descriptive level can now be explained in greater depth.Read More