This book is rather unique in its approach and coverage. The approach is essentially that of an engineering textbook, emphasizing the quantitative aspects and highlighting the fundamentals and basic concepts involved. The coverage progresses in a logical and systematic manner from the subcellular, starting with the electrophysiology of the cell membrane, then proceeding to synapses, neurons, and muscle, before considering neuronal motor ensembles and the neuromuscular system as a whole. Simple, clear, and comprehensive explanations are given throughout. After an introductory chapter on some background material in biology, biophysics, and chemical kinetics, a substantial part of the book (Chapters 2-8) necessarily covers in considerable detail the basic components and processes that underlie the electrical and associated activities of the nervous system. The remaining chapters of the book (Chapters 9-13) focus on the neuromuscular system, starting with the structure of muscle cells, the generation of force by muscular contraction, and muscle receptors. The last chapter examines aspects of the control of movement, motor learning and memory, the maintenance of posture, and locomotion, and critically examines some of the theories that have been advanced to explain how movement is controlled. The book is intended for undergraduate or graduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering who seek a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of neuroscience and the somatomotor system, in accordance with the aforementioned objectives. The book can serve as a textbook for a one-semester course on the neuromuscular system or as a reference in a more general course on neuroscience.

• • Provides a thorough analytical treatment of membrane electrophysiology, starting from the first principles

• • Emphasizes strongly the basic and fundamental concepts throughout

• • Discusses thoroughly the essential features and properties of the basic constituents of the nervous system, that is, neurons and synapses, including the neuromuscular junction

• • Explains the main aspects of posture, locomotion, and control of movement

• Includes practice problems throughout the text and a solutions manual will be available for adopting professors

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: Background Material
Chapter 2 The Cell Membrane in the Steady State
Chapter 3 Generation of the Action Potential
Chapter 4 Propagation of the Action Potential
Chapter 5 The Neuromuscular Junction
Chapter 6 Synapses
Chapter 7 Neurons
Chapter 8 Neuronal Firing Patterns and Models
Chapter 9 Skeletal Muscle
Chapter 10 Functional Properties of Muscle
Chapter 11 Spinal Cord and Reflexes
Chapter 12 Brain Motor Centers and Pathways
Chapter 13 Control of Movement and Posture