Biophysics of the Senses connects fundamental properties of physics to biological systems, relating them directly to the human body. It includes discussions of the role of charges and free radicals in disease and homeostasis, how aspects of mechanics impact normal body functions, human bioelectricity and circuitry, forces within the body, and biophysical sensory mechanisms. This is an exciting view of how sensory aspects of biophysics are utilized in everyday life for students who are curious but struggle with the connection between biology and physics.
A physicist's guide to the phenomena of life Interactions between the fields of physics and biology reach back over a century, and some of the most significant developments in biology—from the discovery of DNA's structure to imaging of the human brain—have involved collaboration across this disciplinary boundary. For a new generation of physicists, the phenomena of life pose exciting challenges to physics itself, and biophysics has emerged as an important subfield of this discipline. Here, William Bialek provides the first graduate-level introduction to biophysics aimed at physics students. Bialek begins by exploring how photon counting in vision offers important lessons about the opportunities for quantitative, physics-style experiments on diverse biological phenomena. He draws from these lessons three general physical principles—the importance of noise, the need to understand the extraordinary performance of living systems without appealing to finely tuned parameters, and the critical role of the representation and flow of information in the business of life. Bialek then applies these principles to a broad range of phenomena, including the control of gene expression, perception and memory, protein folding, the mechanics of the inner ear, the dynamics of biochemical reactions, and pattern formation in developing embryos. Featuring numerous problems and exercises throughout, Biophysics emphasizes the unifying power of abstract physical principles to motivate new and novel experiments on biological systems. Covers a range of biological phenomena from the physicist's perspective Features 200 problems Draws on statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and related mathematical concepts Includes an annotated bibliography and detailed appendixes
Since publication of the first edition, huge developments have taken place in sensory biology research and new insights have been provided in particular by molecular biology. These show the similarities in the molecular architecture and in the physiology of sensory cells across species and across sensory modality and often indicate a common ancestry dating back over half a billion years. Biology of Sensory Systems has thus been completely revised and takes a molecular, evolutionary and comparative approach, providing an overview of sensory systems in vertebrates, invertebrates and prokaryotes, with a strong focus on human senses. Written by a renowned author with extensive teaching experience, the book covers, in six parts, the general features of sensory systems, the mechanosenses, the chemosenses, the senses which detect electromagnetic radiation, other sensory systems including pain, thermosensitivity and some of the minority senses and, finally, provides an outline and discussion of philosophical implications. New in this edition: Greater emphasis on molecular biology and intracellular mechanisms New chapter on genomics and sensory systems Sections on TRP channels, synaptic transmission, evolution of nervous systems, arachnid mechanosensitive sensilla and photoreceptors, electroreception in the Monotremata, language and the FOXP2 gene, mirror neurons and the molecular biology of pain Updated passages on human olfaction and gustation. Over four hundred illustrations, boxes containing supplementary material and self-assessment questions and a full bibliography at the end of each part make Biology of Sensory Systems essential reading for undergraduate students of biology, zoology, animal physiology, neuroscience, anatomy and physiological psychology. The book is also suitable for postgraduate students in more specialised courses such as vision sciences, optometry, neurophysiology, neuropathology, developmental biology. Praise from the reviews of the first edition: "An excellent advanced undergraduate/postgraduate textbook." ASLIB BOOK GUIDE "The emphasis on comparative biology and evolution is one of the distinguishing features of this self-contained book. .... this is an informative and thought-provoking text..." TIMES HIGHER EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT
The last decade revealed to auditory researchers that hair cells can not only detect and process mechanical energy, but are also able to produce it. Thanks to the active hair cell, ears can produce otoacoustic emissions. This book gives the newest insights into the biophysics and physiology of individual hair cells and integral hair cell systems such as the inner ear and the lateral line organ.
Multiple senses, like multiple intelligences, are a key to brain variability and therefore human evolution. Besides the traditional five senses (vision, olfaction, gustation, audition, and somatosensory), humans can also perceive the body’s own position (the sense of proprioception) and movement (the vestibular sense). Interoception is the feeling one has about the internal physiological conditions of the entire body. Additionally there is a sense of intuition, also known as the sixth sense. Despite their best efforts, researchers are still unable to concur in specifying the nature of the sixth sense; some consider the sense of proprioception as the sixth sense, whereas others prefer to consider that as a part of interoception. This book will provide a scientific system for the human sixth sense using relevant biophysical and neurophysiological evidence. The power of “sixth sense” seems to be underestimated, due to difficulties in defining the concept clearly. According to socioeconomics and neural physics, the sixth sense is that which permits humans to create perception or to enhance the quality of their perception of events. Roughly speaking, the sixth sense engages a metacognitive process through which prior knowledge and the information received from other sensory modalities are synergized. It is not restricted to specific arrow of time and type of mind or to the observer’s body, but it considers all arrows of time (past, present, future), types of mind (conscious and unconscious), and physical bodies (self and other). However it is expected that the observer has specific biases towards what happens now or would happen in the future and its relation to himself. Particularly, humans appeal to the sixth sense on the road to achieving success in social competitions and to reduce uncertainty in complex decision making processes. In addition to evidence linking genetic components to the sixth sense submodalities, there have been developed strategies for increasing the quality of perceptions provided by the sixth sense. Meditation, through which individuals try to be detached from the world, increases gamma-band activity and that increased gamma-band activity is found following top-down processing. Therefore it can be inferred that the detachment from the environment may enhance synchronization of the wave functions in favor of strengthening the sixth sense. It can serve as the mechanism of enhancement of the sixth sense in those whose sensory systems are intact, it can also serve as the mechanism of compensation in those who have sensory deficiencies. In the latter case, it in fact encourages creativity in the use of relatively strong senses. This justifies Beethoven's deafness and his great musical creativity or Bramblitt's blindness and his enormous capability to paint and many other similar examples. In summary, the present book is divided into five parts. Part 1 (chapters 1-6) provides information about the system of proprioception and its neurophysiology and biophysics. Part 2 (chapters 7-10) examines the system of interoception. The information provided in these two parts would enable us to move towards the next three parts of the story, aimed at developing a scientific system of the sixth sense. The first chapter of part 3 begins with concepts and uses them to arrive at reasonable conclusion that there must be a sense that requires multistep information processing and that is separate from the sense of proprioception and the sense of interoception. Such sense is commonly known as the sixth sense. However it should be re-numbered because the sense of proprioception is already known as the sixth sense. The second chapter of this part is to draw neurocircuitry that innervates the sixth sense in the mind of a man, while the third chapter would address the questions whether the sixth sense system requires an optimal competence or consciousness of mind to function properly and if so which is the optimal state: conscious or unconscious and competence or incompetence. In the fourth chapter of this part, we will focus on the self-other mergence as a pivotal step of the sixth sense system. The next chapter would be of great interest to neurobiologists. It talks about that the human sixth sense of the unseen world, either the unseen arrow of time or the unseen events, requires creativity and therefore the human sixth sense should be considered a source of creativity, variability and thus evolution. In the sixth chapter, the sixth sense is viewed as an economic activity stimulated by social environments. This chapter arisen from the fact that humans are full of enthusiasm to heighten their sixth sense and its accuracy and that they owe their enthusiasm largely to achieving the best possible profit and in other words to wining intense competitions in their life holds mainly on the concept of elasticity. Finally this part is finished by an amazing discussion on the art of the sixth sense. The first chapter of part 4 discusses physical theories that support the existence of sixth sense in the universe. The next chapter is to apply the Bayes’ theory to the sixth sense, leading to the conclusion that the sixth sense improves multisensory integration through optimizing uncertainty of information received from other sensory modalities. Chapter three in this part would address whether relative timing is applicable to the sixth sense like other senses. The last part of book aimed at directly discussing the sixth sense into the context of human health and behavior is organized into four chapters. The first chapter is to discuss neurodevelopmental changes in the sixth sense, while the second and third ones will discuss that in relation to psychiatric and neurological disorders. The most striking question how much power the sixth sense the sixth sense have over human health and behavior is addressed in the fourth chapter of this part and final chapter of book, which will be prepared using neural network models and sophisticated portraits possible for the system of sixth sense.
Since the first English edition of this book appeared three years ago, the authors have received many useful comments from readers. In preparing this amended edition we have carefully examined each chapter, improving and expanding the text where necessary; in the process, we have been greatly helped by their remarks. Further commentary on this edition will be much appreciated. Again, I should like to express the gratitude of all the authors to the staff of Springer-Verlag for expediting the publication of the book. Kiel, Germany, July 1981 ROBERT F. SCHMIDT Preface to the First Edition In the field of sensory physiology we are concerned with what our sense organs and the associated central nervous structures - can do and how that perform ance is achieved. Research here is not limited to description of the physi cochemical reactions taking place in these structures; the conditions under which sensations and perceptions arise and the rules that govern them are also of fundamental interest. Sensory physiology thus demands the attention of everyone who wishes to - or must - delve into the potentialities and limitations of human experience.
The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference, Second Edition, Seven Volume Set is a comprehensive reference work covering the range of topics that constitute current knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the different senses. This important work provides the most up-to-date, cutting-edge, comprehensive reference combining volumes on all major sensory modalities in one set. Offering 264 chapters from a distinguished team of international experts, The Senses lays out current knowledge on the anatomy, physiology, and molecular biology of sensory organs, in a collection of comprehensive chapters spanning 4 volumes. Topics covered include the perception, psychophysics, and higher order processing of sensory information, as well as disorders and new diagnostic and treatment methods. Written for a wide audience, this reference work provides students, scholars, medical doctors, as well as anyone interested in neuroscience, a comprehensive overview of the knowledge accumulated on the function of sense organs, sensory systems, and how the brain processes sensory input. As with the first edition, contributions from leading scholars from around the world will ensure The Senses offers a truly international portrait of sensory physiology. The set is the definitive reference on sensory neuroscience and provides the ultimate entry point into the review and original literature in Sensory Neuroscience enabling students and scientists to delve into the subject and deepen their knowledge. All-inclusive coverage of topics: updated edition offers readers the only current reference available covering neurobiology, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology of sense organs and the processing of sensory information in the brain Authoritative content: world-leading contributors provide readers with a reputable, dynamic and authoritative account of the topics under discussion Comprehensive-style content: in-depth, complex coverage of topics offers students at upper undergraduate level and above full insight into topics under discussion
Since 1978 this textbook, to the gratification of its authors and publisher, has found an undiminished readership. Recent research in sensory physiology has progressed so rapidly that this third edition, like the second, has required thorough revision. The understanding of pain, in particular, has increased to a remarkable degree. This development is reflected here in the appearance, for the first time, of a chapter devoted entirely to the subject "Nociception and Pain". In view of the great clinical significance of pain, it seemed necessary to broaden the scope of the discussion, so that in addition to the aspects directly related to sensory physiology consideration is given to the pathophysiology, pharmacology and psychology of pain. The chapters present in earlier editions have also been carefully reexamined and, where necessary, revised and extended. Most of the illustrations provided for the first edition by the Stuttgart studio Gay & Benz have been retained. Some required alteration or replacement, and a number of new illustrations have been added. For the meticulous skill with which she transformed our ideas into graphs and drawings, we are most grateful to Mrs. Regine Gattung-Petith.
