PrefaceUp to now, it was generally believed that the destruction of any part of the membranous labyrinth invariably led to complete hearing loss. This concept is no longer accurate!It became apparent that the inner ear was compartmentalized into a cochlea and a vestibule, separated from each other by two valves. Each compartment with its own morphology, physiology, particular biochemistry, and specific pathology. Today, surgery of either of these compartments can be performed without fear for the integrity of the other. This constitutes a revolution in surgery of the inner ear and leads to per.

Knowledge about the structure and function of the inner ear is vital to an understanding of vertebrate hearing. This volume presents a detailed overview of the mammalian cochlea from its anatomy and physiology to its biophysics and biochemistry. The nine review chapters, written by internationally distinguished auditory researchers, provide a detailed and unified introduction to sound processing in the cochlea and the steps by which the ensuing signals are prepared for the central nervous system.

Boorman's Pathology of the Rat: Reference and Atlas, Second Edition, continues its history as the most comprehensive pathology reference on rat strains for researchers across science and medicine using rat models in the laboratory. It offers readers an added emphasis on the Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rat strains that is consistent with current research across academia, government, and industry. In addition, the book provides standard diagnostic criteria, basic content on histology, histological changes that result from drug toxicity and neoplasm, pathology terminology, and four-color photographs from the NTP archive and database. With updated references and photographs, as well as coverage of all rat strains, this book is not only the standard in the field, but also an invaluable resource for toxicologists, biologists, and other scientists engaged in regulatory toxicology who must make the transition from pathology results to the promulgation of meaningful regulations. - Contains full, four color photographs from the NTP archive and database and coverage of all rat strains - Provides an organ-by-organ and system-by-system approach that presents standard diagnostic criteria and basic content on histology and histological changes - Includes comprehensive and detailed background incidence data - Presents detailed descriptive content regarding changes in rat models during research

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.