The physics of neural circuity

What happens when you read this web page?

When you read these words, photos that light up letters hit your retina, and an electrical cascade ensues - targeting a myriad of cells throughout your central nervous system.

a giant neuron wraps itself around the brain. image credit:allen institute for brain science

How does a neuron grow?

Here, we consider the beginning, and the end. The construction of neural circuits - axon growth cones - and regeneration in the nervous system. As we will see, repair is possible in the PNS, but connecting those circuits to the CNS is not, as yet, due to difference in neural pathways and connections.

Physical phenomena seen at the level of a universe are recapitulated by that of a single cell.

Physics = Patterns

An understanding of physics - however humble, can change the way you think about life. 

A brief introduction to Bernoulli's principle, turbulent flow, and fractals.