title: Cooperative mechanism for improving the discriminating ability in the chemoreceptor neuron binomial case.
abstract: The discriminating ability (selectivity) of the chemoreceptor neuron is compared with that of its receptor proteins. The process of neuronal triggering is expected to be cooperative and threshold type in a sense that the neuron fires a spike if and only if the number of receptor proteins which are bound with odor molecules is above a definite threshold. The binomial distribution is utilized to estimate the firing probability if a definite odor is applied. It is established that a chemoreceptor neuron can have a much higher selectivity than its individual receptor proteins, provided that the chemical stimuli are presented at low concentrations. A possibility for the above mechanism to be valid in other sensory systems is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Metrologichna Struct 14-B, 252143 Kiev, Ukraine. vidybida@bitp.kiev.ua
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Vidybida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D003491:Cybernetics; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology