Characteristics, Emergent Properties and Functions of Somato-dendritic T- and L-Type Calcium Channels

The primary literature, as an adjunct to textbooks, lectures, problem sets, and laboratories, has become integral to most undergraduate neuroscience courses by extending learning to topics outside the scope of introductory textbooks, providing insight into experimental methods and design, and offering a platform for critical thinking, independent learning, and student presentations. While introductory and intermediate textbooks cover "Hodgkin-Huxley" (H-H) Na and K channels thoroughly, the characteristics of diverse calcium, chloride, and other sodium and potassium channels, and especially the resulting emergent cellular properties and their functional consequences, receive far less coverage. The specific aim of this report is to identify, summarize, and pedagogically evaluate six articles that describe the biophysical channel properties, resulting cellular emergent properties, and potential functions of two types of somato-dendritic calcium channels: type T- and L- type channels. The three-tier vertical organization (channel, emergence, function) across multiple channels (T-, L-type) will help students connect information across parallel and hierarchical levels of analysis.