Biophysics

• What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
  molbio.pdf
• Give the basic circuits for a current- and voltage-clamp set-up.
  clamps.pdf
• Describe the main biophysical characteristics of at least one type of ionic channel. How does its biophysical properties contribute to its physiological function. What is thought to be the basis for the channel's ion selectivity?
  channels.pdf
• Derive the cable equation (for a uniform cylinder, with optimal boundary conditions). What does it mean for neurons?
  cable.pdf
• What is diffusion? How far would a typical molecule diffuse in a millisecond? A second? An hour? How does the diffusion equation differ from the cable equation?
  diffusion.pdf
• Describe and explain the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the action potential.
  hh.pdf
• Describe and discuss the two principal models of individual neurons (integrate-and-fire and mean-rate neurons). What assumptions do they make about encoding. In what way are they faithful to real neurons and how do they fall short?

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