Membranes, channels, and noise

Membranes, channels, and noise

BOOK REVIEWS Many advances have been made in the understanding of the imnmnological and neurophysiological aspects of the pathophysiology of the disea...

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BOOK REVIEWS Many advances have been made in the understanding of the imnmnological and neurophysiological aspects of the pathophysiology of the disease states involving myelin and they are detailed in this present volume. Also, the era of recombinant D N A has reached this field of myelin research. The book is divided into 14 chapters, divided nearly equally between the normal and diseased state. The first 7 chapters deal with morphology, molecular organization, physiological basis of conduction, protein and metabolism, whereas the last 7 begin with neuropathology and follow with neurology, pathophysiology, chemical pathology, imnmnology and model systems used in myelin research. The book is attractively presented by the publisher. Membranes, channels, and noise. - R.S. Eisenberg, M. Frank and C.F. Stevens (Eds.) (Plenum, New York, 1984, 288 p., U.S. $47.50)

This book is based on a workshop on Noise Measurements as a Probe of Ionic Conductance, held nearly 5 years ago in

209 Feb. 1981 in Denver, CO. The papers are designed to increase the awareness and utilization of fluctuation theory for the description of ionic events at the membrane. This theor? was developed initially to explain statistical fluctuations of ordinary quantities such as random collisions between gas molecules and walls. The emphasis in the volume is on the practical steps which must be followed to make and interpret measurements of noise, produced by natural fluctuations and in response to a signal. There are 8 chapters involving inferences about the molecular mechanisms, nonstationary analysis of membrane currents, stationary fluctuations of Na current, synaptic noise, noise in apical Na channels, informational content and a general chapter on membranes and channels.