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Particle-Based Stochastic Simulators

Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience
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Definition

A stochastic simulator that tracks the location and interactions of individual molecules, also known as Brownian motion simulator.

Detailed Description

Stochastic simulators are utilized to model an array of phenomena in neuroscience, ranging from vesicle release, to activation of signaling pathways by G protein-coupled receptors, to initiation of gene transduction. In the presynaptic terminal, action potentials do not always produce vesicle release; instead vesicles are released with some probability. G protein-coupled receptors may activate a few to many G proteins, which diffuse within the membrane to find an enzyme or ion channel to react with. The smaller number of synaptic channels at some synapses produces variability in the postsynaptic response. The variability in numerous experimental measurements attests to the stochastic nature of neuron activity.

Ion channel opening, vesicle release, and signaling pathways all can be simulated using a number of techniques,...

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Correspondence to Kim T. Blackwell .

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Blackwell, K. (2014). Particle-Based Stochastic Simulators. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_191-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_191-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Particle-Based Stochastic Simulators
    Published:
    11 May 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_191-2

  2. Original

    Particle-Based Stochastic Simulators
    Published:
    20 March 2014

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_191-1