Background: Our model of a neuron based on a model proposed by McCulloch and Pit
ID: 3669210 • Letter: B
Question
Background: Our model of a neuron based on a model proposed by McCulloch and Pitts in 1943, with minor enhancements to reflect the basic biology of neurons. In our model, the two basic types of synapse, excitatory and inhibitory, have been distinguished by just one thing, the sign of the synaptic strength. Excitatory synapses send positive signals, inhibitory synapses send negative signals. This is a gross oversimplification of reality.
In fact, there are fast excitatory synapses, slow excitatory synapses, fast inhibitory synapses, and slow inhibitory synapses, each involving different neurotransmitters (the chemicals that actually convey the message across the synaptic gap). Furthermore, there is also a special kind of synapse (we'll call it a secondary synapse). Where primary synapses connect axons to the cell body of a different neuron, secondary synapses connect axons to other (primary) synapses. When a secondary synapse fires, it decreases the strength of the primary synapse to which it is connected.
A question: How could you use polymorphism in a Java neuron-network simulator in order to account for these differnces. Specifically, what class would be the parent class and what would be the appropriate subclasses needed to incorporate the new information presented above.
Here's what I came up with: the class Synapse would be the parent with subclasses being Excitatory, Inhibitory, and Secondary.
Can anyone comment on whether this is correct or not? I'm using Java by the way
Explanation / Answer
you are correct and I given syntax
Yes.. you are absolutely correct.
Base class will be synapse and sub classes will be Excitatory, Inhibotory, Secondary.
Here is example of given details:
---------------------------------
parent class .. Synapse
public class Synapse {
//class variable
int signal;
//constructor
public Synapse(int signal){
this.signal = signal;
}
}
-----------------------------------------------------------------
//sub classes
public class Excitatory extends Synapse{
}
public class Inhibotory extends Synapse{
}
public class Secondary extends Synapse{
}
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