Neuron: Electrolytic Theory & Framework for Understanding Its

Neuron: Electrolytic Theory & Framework for Understanding its operation Abstract: The Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron replaces the chemical theory of the 20th Century. In doing so, it provides a framework for understanding the entire Neural System to a comprehensive and contiguous level not available previously. The Theory exposes the internal workings of the individual neurons to an unprecedented level of detail; including describing the amplifier internal to every neuron, the Activa, as a liquid-crystalline semiconductor device. The Activa exhibits a differential input and a single ended output, the axon, that may bifurcate to satisfy its ultimate purpose. The fundamental neuron is recognized as a three-terminal electrolytic signaling device. The fundamental neuron is an analog signaling device that may be easily arranged to process pulse signals. When arranged to process pulse signals, its axon is typically myelinated. When multiple myelinated axons are grouped together, the group are labeled “white matter” because of their translucent which scatters light. In the absence of myelination, groups of neurons and their extensions are labeled “dark matter.” The dark matter of the Central Nervous System, CNS, are readily divided into explicit “engines” with explicit functional duties. The duties of the engines of the Neural System are readily divided into “stages” to achieve larger characteristic and functional duties. Keywords: Activa, liquid-crystalline, semiconductors, PNP, analog circuitry, pulse circuitry, IRIG code, 2 Neurons & the Nervous System The NEURONS and NEURAL SYSTEM This material is excerpted from the full β-version of the text. The final printed version will be more concise due to further editing and economical constraints. A Table of Contents and an index are located at the end of this paper. A few cross-refs. have yet to be defined and are indicated by “xxx.” James T. Fulton Neural Concepts [email protected] January 5, 2019 Copyright 2011 James T. Fulton A useful rule in studies of neural circuits is never to accept randomness as an organizing principle because it discourages doing experiments to test for specificity. G. M. Shepherd, 2005 He who loves practice without theory is like a seafarer who boards ship without wheel or compass and knows not whither he travels Leonardo Da Vinci I heartily beg that what I have here done may be read with forbearance; and that my labors in a subject so difficult may be examined, not so much with the view of censure, as to remedy their defects. Sir Isaac Newton, Principia There is a unifying force behind all manifestations of nature, which we cannot fully comprehend, but we can try to explain it with the means at our disposal. Eulogy to John von Neumann, 1957 1. Introduction, Prior Art & 1Fundamentals of Science Drawing is the Education of the Eye. It is more interesting than words. The language of the tongue is often used to disguise our thoughts, whereas the language of the pencil is clear and explicit. James Nasmyth, 1808-1890. “An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted” -Arthur Miller The primary tasks of the neural system are to collect information, make decisions based on that information, and implement those decisions through commands to the non-neural tissue of the organism. The fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand how these tasks are accomplished. This volume is dedicated to that goal, to providing a detailed description of the neural system of animals. It employs a new electrolytic paradigm that provides a more sophisticated framework than the chemical concept employed under the old paradigm. The focus of this work is on the circuits and mechanisms causing a phenomenon, rather than on reporting the phenomenon. The new paradigm describes the neuron as containing a three-terminal active electrolytic device formed by the junction of real semiconducting bilayer membranes (lemma), as the foundation of The Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron. This theory replaces the previous paradigm based on a two-terminal active device (the axolemma membrane alone) formed of a putative permeable membrane subject to the Nernst Equation and supporting the flow of alkali ions through the membrane. The old paradigm of the neural system based primarily on chemical mechanisms is no longer tenable. While it was the dominant paradigm during the last half of the 20th Century, neuroscience has been held back through reliance on this concept. The primary signaling functions within the neural system are based on its electrolytic character (Electrolytic = involving the transfer of electrical charge in a liquid or liquid crystalline environment.). The flow of electrons through an active electrolytic semiconducting device is the fundamental mechanism in the new paradigm. It is only the secondary functions, providing electrical 1Released: January 5, 2019 2 Neurons & the Nervous System power to the electrolytic circuits, that are fundamentally chemical in nature. This 21st Century electrolytic paradigm has proven extremely successful; its success, particularly in describing the visual, auditory, olfactory/gustatory and visceral systems of humans, overshadows any criticism generated within the context of the old paradigm. Several recent medical breakthroughs could not have been achieved in the absence of this new paradigm. Many of the paradoxes reported in the recent academic literature are also explained by this paradigm. The current understanding of the operation of the central nervous system, in the visual, auditory and smell contexts, would not be available without this new paradigm. [xxx expand the following ] The correlation of the data of Washburn & Moises and The Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron summarily expressed in Section 9.7.2 is startling. There can be no doubt that The Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron has replaced the archaic chemical theory of the neuron developed in spasms during the 20th Century. - - - - The primary task of this book is to provide The Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron based on a new a 21st Century paradigm. Summarizing Meyer’s ideas2, “Throughout the history of science ‘paradigm shifting’ ideas and theories have typically been presented in books.” First, books allow scientists to make sustained and comprehensive arguments for new ideas. Second, new scientific theories often synthesize a broad range of evidence from many related disciplines or sub-disciplines of science. As such, they are often inherently interdisciplinary in scope. Third, by creating a larger audience, a book can avoid constraint by an entrenched establishment and cause a broader reevaluation of an established theory among a wider audience. A book is the appropriate forum for a new paradigm. The scope of this paradigm fits the above context. It is so broad it cannot be addressed in a small group of journal articles of 4 to 20 text pages. Furthermore, the new paradigm provides such visibility into the neural system that many detailed diagrams are required to explore the subject matter in detail. This book makes one long argument for the Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron and the resulting neural system of the biological organism. Schopenhauer made an important observation3, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” This work is designed to aid the passage of the Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron through these stages as quickly as possible. With the advent of the Internet, it is hoped the process described by Schopenhauer can be sped up considerably. Sanchez described the “7 Biology Myths No Electrical Engineer Would Ever Tolerate” in a recent paper4. This work provides a much more detailed interpretation and rationalization of these myths and answers to all of them at the very detailed level. The winds of change are finally appearing in the neurosciences. These winds should speed acceptance of the Electrolytic Theory of the Neuron. Shreenivasaiah et al. have described a "System" approach to the development of more sophisticated quantitative models of the neural system with a focus on the cardiac system5. They suggest a holistic approach "unlike the traditional biology with a reductionist viewpoint which focuses' on examining 2Meyer, S. (2009) Signature in the Cell. NY: Harper Collins page 6 3Schopenhauer, Arthur (1788-1860) 4Sanchez, E. (2010) 7 Biology Myths No Electrical Engineer Would Ever Tolerate On-line Blog http://cosmicfingerprints.com/ee/comment-page-3/#comment-28914 5Shreenivasaiah, P. Rho, S-H. Kim, T. Kim, D. (2008) An overview of cardiac systems biology J Mol Cell Cardiol vol 44, pp 460-469 Introduction 1- 3 characteristics of isolated components in the biological system." In reviewing the state of the art, they conclude, "All biological systems are inherently complex." However, although the systems are complex, the complexity is overstated when reductionists fail to model components of the system adequately (or properly). Inadequate modeling at the component level adds to the difficulty associated with "poor cohesion between the datasets." They discuss the features of abstract models that are qualitative in nature with few details versus lower abstraction models that are mechanistic, quantitative, and offer details related to operation and connectivity of individual components. They discuss the necessity for powerful computational tools for comprehensive model development. This work will show that sophisticated computational tools are not required to the degree they suggest when appropriate closed-form descriptions of individual components are employed. The goal of this work is to provide closed-form descriptions of all neural system elements. - - - - A major goal of this work is to overcome the reliance of the neuroscience community on metaphors and conceptual sketches in the discussions of neural functions. As Meyer has noted (page 21), “Metaphors reign where mystery resides. The use of metaphors in science derive from the lack of adequate knowledge. Much of current neuroscience relies upon the language of purpose, upon teleological (philosophical) metaphor, instead of the language of process.

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