Monday, March 12, 2012

inefficient deployment of nerve cells that are, individually, efficient.

 I was reading John  Timmer's paper on efficiency of nerve cells. He published that paper two years ago. He spoke about efficiency in transfer of nerve impulse across the axon. He drew an analogy or a computer model and explained it by using the process of discharging of the capacitor.  The authors followed this up with measurements that suggested a lot of the energy costs involved in transmitting nerve signals actually took place when the nerve cell first received a signal from its neighbors. This finding is like threshold energy, or frictional force.

We devote lots of energy to our brain. At least one third of glucose of our body is used by brain alone. This would be in keeping with various findings that suggest that the brain performs functions like consolidating memories while we sleep. So, the huge collection of nerves inside our skulls, which remain busy 24 hours a day, simply represent an inefficient deployment of nerve cells that are, individually, efficient.

This economics involved in transmission of energy across axon and transmission of energy across power line in the transmission and distribution system in a conventional power system. There could be an algorithm.

We have an efficient nerve cell. But the work of nerve cells in group becomes pretty inefficient.
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