How to Use These Materials

Biological systems become more intelligible when we can describe how they change. These materials connect electrophysiology, ion channels, and neural dynamics with equations, graphs, physical intuition, and careful language.

Work through the problems

Draw graphs, derive equations, check dimensions, and explain what each variable means. Handwritten sketches and calculations are useful ways to build understanding. Use exercises and practice exams to identify what you can reason through independently; compare with solutions after making an attempt.

Connect mathematics and biology

A current–voltage relation becomes a circuit model; a gating variable becomes an ordinary differential equation; a cell’s behavior becomes a phase plane. Inspect the assumptions of each model and ask which biological features it explains.

Slides and recordings introduce the ideas. Read the textbook and primary literature for a fuller account, then return to the examples and demonstrations.

Learn with others and with tools

Discuss questions with other learners and keep track of the people, texts, software, and tools that help you. Generative AI can support clarification and exploration, but check its reasoning and reproduce derivations yourself. Having an answer is less useful than understanding how to obtain and interpret it.

Repeat difficult examples, revise your diagrams, and use the practice collection to monitor your progress.