Chapter 1  Biological Information Processing

• In The Book of Genesis: Exploring Realistic Neural Models with the GEneral NEural SImulation System, by Bower and Beeman ( 1), there is the standard reference book to the Genesis Modeling Language. This only runs on unix systems so there certainly is a big start up cost for this one!
• In Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes by Hille, ( 2), we see a great book on ion channels in general and in "Classical Biophysics of the Squid Giant Axon" ( 3, we see a particular chapter devoted to the biophysics of the squid axonal fiber.
• The book Foundations of Cellular Neurophysiology by Johnston and Wu, ( 4), is a detailed reference to cellular physiology. In "Hodgkin and Huxley's Analysis of the Squid Giant Axon", ( 5), we note the particular chapter devoted to the Hodgkin and Huxley analysis of the giant squid axon.
• The chapter "Multiple Channels and Calcium Dynamics", in Methods of Neuronal Modeling edited by Koch and Segev, ( 8), is a reference to a very detailed mathematical model for the generation of the output pulse of a neuron that does include second messenger effects. Although quite old, it is still very useful to read.
• The two volumes of Cellular Biophysics, Volume 1, Transport and Volume 2, Electrical Properties, ( 9) and ( 10), give a thorough treatment of this area. In the chapter "The Hodgkin - Huxley Model" in Volume 2,( 11), we reference a particular treatment of the Hodgkin - Huxley models.