ABSTRACT
With the exception of Chapter 8, previous chapters have dealt exclusively with the physiology and anatomy of single neurons. This material is of great interest to researchers and absolutely necessary to the further unraveling of neurophysiological mysteries. But in a larger sense, the study of single-cell biology would be merely an exercise in esoterica were it not for the fact that neurons interact with each other. Make no mistake—the neurophysiology of the single cell is fascinating but, in the opinion of this author, the enormous investment in single-cell neurophysiological research should be directed at broader goals than those defined solely at the level of the single neuron. The real importance of research in the area of singlecell neurophysiology lies in the fact that these cells are the unit building blocks that make up the complex interacting network of the nervous system. It is the system and its function in relation to the behavior of the total organism that makes neurophysiological research of such great significance.
