Software for teaching physiology and biophysics

Abstract

We describe a software library that we have developed to teach biophysics and physiology to undergraduate engineering and science students as well as to medical students. The library, which is under development, now includes software on: (1) the Hodgkin-Huxley model for excitation of action potentials in electrically excitable cells (such as nerve and muscle cells); (2) a random-walk model of diffusion; (3) single voltage-gated ion channels; (4) steady-state chemically mediated transport; and (5) macroscopic diffusion processes. The software is used in a variety of ways: as an integral part of lectures, as the basis of special sessions held in electronic classrooms, as a source of homework assignments, and for special projects defined by the students. We describe the software and some of the pedagogic methods we have used.