Physics of Nerves and Excitatory Membranes

Very well structured, presenting the complex topic on a readily accessible level, this book is the first to explain all the biological properties of nerve cell membranes.
Without neglecting the known theories of nerve impulse propagation, the monograph focuses on the less known features of nerve cell membranes, such as their mechanical, caloric and optical properties. Based on these properties, the author then develops an electromechanical theory of pulse propagation, offering the most plausible explanation yet for some unresolved questions regarding the effects observed during general anesthesia.
Of prime interest to the biophysical audience working on biomembranes as well for neurobiologists and everyone involved in anesthesia research. Additional features, such as summaries, textboxes and supplementary web material, also make this an excellent companion for teaching.

List of contents

Part I: INTRODUCTION
I.1 Early Nerve Studies
I.2 The Early Period of Electrophysiology
I.3 The Hodgkin-Huxley Model and Beyond
I.4 Another Line of Thought
I.5 Scope of this Book
Part II: THERMODYNAMICS
II.1 Fundamental Laws in Thermodynamics
II.2 Some Statistical Thermodynamics
II.3 Nonequilibrium
II.4 The Fluctuation Relations
Part III: PROPERTIES OF NERVES
III.1 Structure of Nerves
III.2 Electrical Properties of Nerves
III.3 The Dimensions of the Nerve Pulse
III.4 Mechanical Properties of the Nerve Pulse
III.5 Optical Changes during the Action Potential
III.6 Heat Production and Temperature Changes during the Nerve Pulse
III.7 Magnetic Fields Generated during the Action Potential
III.8 Collisions of Nerve Pulses
Part IV: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
IV.1 Some Historical Considerations
IV.2 Cable Theory
IV.3 Voltage Gating
IV.4 The Hodgkin-Huxley Model
IV.5 Protein Ion Channels
Part V: PROPERTIES OF ARTIFICIAL AND BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES
V.1 Membrane Structure
V.2 Membrane Melting
V.3 Phase Behavior, Domains and Rafts
V.4 Influence of Hydrostatic Pressure and Lateral Pressure
V.5 Curvature
V.6 Influence of pH and Ionic Strength
V.7 Influence of Voltage
V.8 Influence of Drugs and Proteins
Part VI: FLUCTUATIONS AND SUSCEPTIBILITIES
VI.1 Entropy and Fluctuations
VI.2 Heat Capacity
VI.3 Relation between Enthalpy, Volume and Area Changes
VI.4 Transitions and Elastic Constants
VI.5 Sound Propagation
VI.6 Capacitance and Capacitive Susceptibility
VI.7 Relaxation Timescales
Part VII: THE SOLITON THEORY
VII.1 Hydrodynamics and Sound Propagation
VII.2 Sound Velocity in Nerve Membranes
VII.3 The Frequency Dependence of the Sound Velocity
VII.4 The Nerve Pulse as an Electromechanical Soliton
VII.5 Nerve Contraction and Pulse Trains
VII.6 Excitation of Solitons
VII.7 Pulse Collisions
VII.8 Pulses on Monolayers
Part VIII: CHANNELS
VIII.1 The Permeability of Lipid Membranes
VIII.2 Voltage-gated Lipid Channels
VIII.3 Mechanosensitive Lipid Channels
VIII.5 Temperature Sensing
VIII.6 The Influence of Drugs on Membrane Permeability and Lipid Ion Channels
VIII.7 Channel Lifetimes
VIII.8 Selectivity of Lipid Channels
VIII.9 Proteins as Catalysts
Part IX: MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES
IX.1 Anesthesia
IX.2 Adaptation
IX.3 Nerve Stretching
IX.4 Tremor and Bipolar Disorder
IX.5 Ultrasound Neurostimulation

About the author

Thomas Heimburg has been an Associate Professor for Biophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen since 2003, where he is the head of the Membrane Biophysics Group. He studied Physics in Stuttgart and Göttingen, Germany. He obtained his PhD in 1989 at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen. After being a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia from 1989-1990 he received his Habilitation degree in the field of Biophysics at the University of Göttingen in 1995. From 1997-2003 he was leader of an independent research group at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen. Thomas Heimburg has authored around 80 original articles and book chapters, and is the single author of a textbook called "Thermal Biophysics of Membranes, Wiley-VCH 2007". He is Editorial Board member of the Journal "Biophysical Chemistry".

Summary

Very well structured, presenting the complex topic on a readily accessible level, this book is the first to explain all the biological properties of nerve cell membranes.
Without neglecting the known theories of nerve impulse propagation, the monograph focuses on the less known features of nerve cell membranes, such as their mechanical, caloric and optical properties. Based on these properties, the author then develops an electromechanical theory of pulse propagation, offering the most plausible explanation yet for some unresolved questions regarding the effects observed during general anesthesia.
Of prime interest to the biophysical audience working on biomembranes as well for neurobiologists and everyone involved in anesthesia research. Additional features, such as summaries, textboxes and supplementary web material, also make this an excellent companion for teaching.

Product details

• Authors: Thomas Heimburg
• Publisher: Wiley-VCH
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 26.11.2025
• EAN: 9783527331802
• ISBN: 978-3-527-33180-2
• No. of pages: 512
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Miscellaneous; Physik, Biophysik, Medizin, Neurophysiologie, Life Sciences, Anästhesie, Biowissenschaften, nervenzelle, Physics, Anesthesia, Neurophysiology, Biophysics, Medical Science