Basic Properties of Biological Neurons and Synapses

In this chapter we shall make the case that in the study of brain function – from computational or clinical points of view – it is essential to take biological detail into consideration. In doing so, we must address three types of question: (1) why is this necessary, given that biological detail is seemingly unbounded? (2) How much detail is important – and which details to include? (3) How does one go about it? (This last question we shall approach in stages, a partial answer here, more of an answer later on).