MemCable v. 1.2

Description: One in a series of three graphical interactive teaching programs that simulate experiments using microelectrodes and electrodes to teaching some fundamental concepts of electrophysiology. MemCable, originally released in 1993, has been designed to graphically simulate a microelectrode experiment to measure the passive electrical properties of the membrane of a small spherical neuron and the cable properties of a long unmyelinated nerve fibre and a skeletal muscle fibre. The program simulates virtually every aspect of an actual experiment done on an analogue spherical neuron and muscle fibre and uses the approach that would be followed in a research laboratory. Students move the microelectrodes on the screen to impale the cells and see how they respond to current stimulation. The students then measure the input resistance and time constant of each cell and with graphical interactive techniques determine the space constant of the nerve and muscle fibre in order to derive all the passive membrane and cable properties of the cells and think about their physiological significance.
More information is available on the website of the University of New South Wales and on Professor Barry's webpage.

Comments & References: The other two computer programs in this series are MemPot and ArtMem. The programs have been primarily written for Windows, but they also run on Macintosh computers using emulation software. For further details, prices, distributors and orders, please contact Professor Barry.