IUBio

Axon collaterals ?

Matthew Kirkcaldie Matthew.Kirkcaldie at removethis.newcastle.edu.au
Mon Jan 5 01:19:50 EST 2004


In article <k5jJb.20917$IM3.2289 at newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
 "k p  Collins" <kpaulc@[----------]earthlink.net> wrote:

> And, given the overall neuroanatomical context [for those
> who have it, "the special topological homeomorphism of
> central nervous systems", AoK, "Short Paper", explicitly,
> and the rest of AoK in general], the 'chain of delimitation'
> is plainly readable.
> 
> In my view, the 'problem' has been that folks 'forget' about
> the global Neuroanatomy, and all of the constraints disclosed
> within it, when they get up-close-and-personal with individual
> neurons.

No, I don't forget about it, and I know that some components are going 
to cancel out or dissolve into noise overlaying function, but the 
problem is that we really have no idea how neurons do what they do en 
masse.  We therefore don't know which subtleties are critical, and which 
can be scaled out as we consider larger systems.

I know you feel you have answers to many of these questions, but you 
don't ever provide details of your theories, which makes it impossible 
to discuss them.  Personally I doubt that a priori reasoning, or 
hypotheses without testing, are strong bases for this kind of 
generalisation.  But I'd be happy to be proved wrong if you would 
actually outline some of the material you refer to.

         Matthew.



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