Project: The Nerve Cell
Bachelor project — 2019
This project involved creating a detailed nerve cell model. We examined how varying ion concentrations affected electrical behaviour. This deepened our understanding of nervous system physiology, improved our modelling skills, and highlighted the complexity of nerve cell behaviour under different conditions.
Nerve cell modelling, nerve cell physiology, electrical behaviour
During this project, my project group and I worked on modelling a nerve cell using specialised modelling software provided by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The resultant nerve cell model, shown in the accompanying images, served as an effective tool for acquiring a better understanding of the mechanics, physics and chemical processes within the nerve cell.
Different physical conditions, such as the concentrations of several ions, were imposed on the model to analyse the changes in electrical behaviour. The images provided demonstrate two of such analyses: one depicting the voltage dynamics of the action potential over time (Vm) and the other illustrating the effect of extracellular ion concentration on the action potential frequency.
This project expanded my knowledge on the physiological mechanisms of the nervous system. I gained valuable experience into creating a biologically meaningful model. Furthermore, the intricacies of the human body were emphasised during the analysis phase, due to the changes in nerve cell behaviour that were observed under several physical conditions.
