In telecommunications, a transmission system is a system which transmits a signal from one place to another. The signal can be an electrical, optical or radio signal.
Can we consider some of the human body systems as transmission systems and then model it using telecommunications' concepts for better understanding?
If we do, can someone please provides some examples of these systems and determines their basic elements(message, transmitter, medium and receiver)?
@Hugh J Byrne
Thanks for answering, dear professor Byrne.
Yes, I believe that CNS is a good example too. So that the message would be a electrochemical wave and we can consider the neurons as transmitters, the axons as medium (or canal) and the spinal cord as receiver.
I'm curious to find more examples like this!
I am not a neurologist, but I don't think you can think of the transmission as a wave. The easiest simplification would be as a current...., but it is probably more like a "daisy-chain" of communications. The muscles are the receivers
@Hugh J Byrne
Dear professor Byrne!
By the term "wave" I meant "action potential" which is considered to be a wave:
" The action potential generated at the axon hillock propagates as a wave along the axon. " [1]
" Neurons send these signals in the form of electrochemical waves traveling along thin fibers called axons... " [2]
For the second part of your answer, maybe both the muscles and the spinal cord can be considered as receivers, depending on how we assume the direction of the transmission.
References
[1] Bullock, Orkand & Grinnell 1977, pp. 160.
[2] Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessel TM, eds. (2000). "Ch. 9: Propagated signaling: the action potential". Principles of Neural Science. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-8385-7701-1.
In relation to nervous system, the system synaptic transmission, neuromuscular transmission, transmission b/w nerves & body cells and transmission of electrical impulses by nerves between brain & receptor/target cell are the examples of Transmission. How these are done are the detailed topics, for which either you can contact me or search on net.
Yes, you can consider the human body systems as transmission systems in a similar model as telecommunications.
You can find receptors as analog-digital converters, axons as wires, nuclei as modulators-amplifiers. But, of course, it is a more complex system because it can elaborate the "message" and compare it with its database of previous experiences, the memory of what was lived, and what was acquired by the study.
Mr. Mahdi Mohammadi, with reference to your statement of considering neuron as transmitters, the axons as medium (or canal) and the spinal cord as receiver is not quite correct as if you want to consider neurons only then in this case neuron body is the medium and axon will be the transporter and dendrites will be the receivers. But if you are considering the whole system than Neurons (as a whole) are the transporting medium or transporters (in both motor or sensory system) and Brain will act as a receiver (in sensory system) or transmitter (in motor system) where as receptors will act as receivers of stimuli (in sensory system) and target tissue or receptors on target tissue/cell will act as receivers (in motor system). I hope that will clear your concerns.
tHE HUMAN BODY CAN DEFINITELY BE CONSIDERED AS A TRANSMISSION. SYSTEM.YOU MAY REFER TO THEORY ON ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS.
sure, the human body systems can considered as transmission systems in a similar model as telecommunications. Such as CNS
All diarthrodial joints (e.g. the knee) are living, self-maintaining, self-repairing biological transmission systems - the purpose of which is to accept, transfer, and dissipate biomechanics loads (in this case between and among the femur, tibia, patella, and fibula) without damage. In the case of the knee the major ligaments function as adaptive "Linkages", the articular cartilages as bearings, and the menisci as mobile, sensate bearings. The muscles in this analogy act as cellular engines, providing motive force across the knee. The synovial cells that line the inside of the knee function as sensate producers of lubrication fluid within the joint. Synovial impingement and subsequent swelling and irritation leading to symptomatic synovitis, may be the most common (under-diagnosed) cause of knee pain in the world.
Dear Mahdi,
This question is an interesting one as it invokes the analogy between the electrical communication systems and the signal transmission in the human body.
Any communications system consists of information sources, transmitters, transmission medium receiver and communication destination.
At first i would like to speak about the signal transmission medium in the human body. The main medium of the transmission in the human body is the water.
Water is a dipolar material and serves as a solvent for the substances supplied to the human body. It solves the slats including sodium chloride and forms an electrolyte capable to conduct electricity by its positive sodium ions and negative chlor ions. So, the electricity conduction is an ionic conduction. The generation of electrical signals is by electrochemical effect.
The system responsible for the sensation is the nervous system where it generates the electrical signals in form of electrical pulses and transfer it from the a part of the body to the brain or from the brain to an intended part of the body. The brain is responsible for processing, taking decisions and storing the signal in its memory cells. Th humans tried to mimic the function of the nervous system by introducing the so called Neural networks.
The information is generated by sensors at skin of the human body. It is generated also by the ears and eyes. All of these sensors work as transducers converting the nonelectrical signals int electrical signals conducted by the Nerves to the central spinal cord then to the brain and back from the brain to the different organs to control them.
So the brain can be considered a source an destination of the information. It also stores and process the information to take decisions.
Signals also are generated by the transducers and some of them work as a destination. The human communication system can be considered a wire line one, transmitting base band signals directly through conducting wires.
Best wishes
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