Publisher's Synopsis
The book focuses on enhancing our understanding of pacemaker systems and associated mechanisms of intercellular communication. Three different physiological systems are compared: the cadiac system, the ??cells of the pancreas, and the gastrointestinal tract. Experts in all three areas highlight the parallels and comparisons among the systems. Emphasis is placed on finding precise characteristics of all cell types involved in pacemaker activity. The interpretation of data on single isolated cells in light of tissue function receives thorough discussion. Ion channel characteristics involved in the generation of action potential and pacemaker components are described in detail. A fascinating but largely unexplored area is touched upon: the electrical and metabolic coupling of different cell types. A most valuable feature is that most investigators have explored a variety of techniques to examine cell function: patch clamp studies, intracellular voltage recording, intracellular calcium measurements, gap junction conductance measurements, dye spread techniques, and more. Various aspects of the molecular biology of gap junction and ion channels are explored.
