White-noise analysis of biological systems

The linear and nonlinear operations of a biological system can be represented by a set of functions called Wiener kernels. This type of analysis is becoming increasingly important in the field of biological systems analysis. This paper reviews the theoretical and practical aspects of testing a biological system with white-noise and provides a guide for interpreting Wiener kernels which result from such studies. A study of the human electroretinogram is presented as an example.