Cellular Biophysics - Vol. 1: Transport FROM THE PUBLISHER
Cellular Biophysics is a quantitatively oriented basic physiology text for senior undergraduate and graduate students in bioengineering, biophysics, physiology, and neuroscience programs. It will also serve as a major reference work for biophysicists.
Developed from the author's notes for a course that he has taught at MIT for many years, these books provide a clear and logical explanation of the foundations of cell biophysics, teaching transport and the electrical properties of cells from a combined biological, physical, and engineering viewpoint.
Each volume contains introductory chapters that motivate the material and present it in a broad historical context. Important experimental results and methods are described. Theories are derived almost always from first principles so that students develop an understanding of not only the predictions of the theory but also its limitations. Theoretical results are compared carefully with experimental findings and new results appear throughout. There are many time-tested exercises and problems as well as extensive lists of references.
The volume on transport is unique in that no other text on this important topic develops it clearly and systematically at the student level. It explains all the principal mechanisms by which matter is transported across cellular membranes and describes the homeostatic mechanisms that allow cells to maintain their
concentrations of solutes, their volume, and the potential across the membrane. Chapters are organized by individual transport mechanisms -- diffusion, osmosis, coupled solute and solvent transport, carrier-mediated transport, and ion transport (both passive and active). A final chapter discusses the interplay of all these mechanisms in cellular homeostasis.
The volume on the electrical properties of cells covers both electrically inexcitable cells as well as electrically excitable cells such as neurons and muscle cells. Included are chapters on lumped-parameterand distributed-parameter models of cells, linear electric properties of cells, the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the giant axon of the squid, saltatory conduction in myelinated nerve fibers, and voltage-gated ion channels.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
A two-volume physiology text written for senior undergraduate and graduate students developed from Weiss's course notes teaching bioelectrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The first volume on transport develops the principal mechanisms by which matter is transported across cellular membranes, describing the homeostatic mechanisms allowing cells to maintain solutes, volume, and potential. The second volume details electrically inexcitable cells as well as electrically excitable cells such as neurons and muscle cells, including lumped-parameter and distributed parameter models, the Hodgkin-Huxley model, and voltage- gated ion channels. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
This beautiful treatment of cellular biophysics is a landmark. It is
comprehensive, scholarly, interesting and clear as a bell. Everyone
seriously interested in how cells do business with their surroundings
will want to read it.
— Charles F. Stevens
In this two volume series Weiss lays the foundations of cellular biophysics on physical principles in a framework that should be easily accessible to any student with a basic understanding of calculus and differential equations. The extensive set of thoughtful problems provided with each chapter will be invaluable in solidifying the student's understanding. I think it will be tremendous fun to teach
from these texts.
--Massey Professor and Director, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
— Murray B. Sachs
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