Learning Tools: for Simultaneous Learning
about NEURON and nerve functioning
{{ ATTENTION}}
In order to actually RUN these "Digital Neurons" simulations,
NEURON must be
installed on the local machine on which the network browser is run.
Mosaic or Netscape can be
be told to use NEURON as a type of "viewer".
If you are familiar with the material here, you may want to
jump ahead to examples of Digital Neurons
This chapter exploits the combined power of NEURON with that
of the http server. It provides a new kind of learning environment where one
can read about neurophysiological problems in the Users Manual and,
without leaving it, run a simulation via a hyperlink to NEURON
application programs (HOC and session files which have been linked and "zipped"
together and given a suffix of .nrn ). A view of the links
involved is shown here.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a few examples for the user to:
- learn a lot about the functioning of
nerve cells -- much of it contrary to ones intuition and, often,
contrary to textbook material.
- learn how to use NEURON's graphical interface to ask and
answer a variety of types of questions about nerve function.
Towards this goal, I have tried to lower the energy barriers as
much as
possible and have made available several relatively simple
programs,
packaged with saved sessions of panels. This will allow you to
concentrate
on the neurophysiology and delay the
learning required to set them up by yourself.
Therefore, for this chapter, you will NOT need to learn how to
program but you may need to refer to some chapters in the Users
Manual for guidance.
Those sections of the Users Manual
which will probably be most useful
to you deal with
NEURON's features and may be directly accessed via hyper links from here.
HOWEVER much of this can also be accomplished without leaving the
NEURON
interface.
You can learn to use NEURON's graphic interface quite well
pushing buttons to see what happens and thus teach yourself.
This may the preferrable way.
Now on to the sample Digital Neurons