[Verse 1] Dendrite branches spread like fractals in the mist Timing matters when the signals coexist Proximal inputs hit the soma first and fast Distal signals fade before they ever last Quantify the voltage drop with cable theory's math Distance kills the amplitude along the passive path Millisecond differences determine neural fate Sequence selectivity emerges from this race [Chorus] Direction flows from proximal to distal zones Rall's equations carved in calcium and bones Inhibition strikes with subtractive force divine Or divisive gates that normalize the line Timing timing timing makes the dendrite sing Order matters everything everything everything [Verse 2] Rall discovered how the branches compute direction Asymmetric morphology creates selection When the wave travels soma-ward it amplifies Backward propagation slowly fades and dies EPSP summation depends on temporal spacing Close together they're exponentially racing Spread apart and integration falls away Dendritic democracy has rules that signals obey [Chorus] Direction flows from proximal to distal zones Rall's equations carved in calcium and bones Inhibition strikes with subtractive force divine Or divisive gates that normalize the line Timing timing timing makes the dendrite sing Order matters everything everything everything [Bridge] Subtractive inhibition shifts the baseline down Divisive inhibition scales the signal's crown On-path blockers stop the current in its tracks Off-path shunting pulls the voltage through the cracks GABA-A receptors open chloride gates wide Hyperpolarizing currents turn the neural tide [Verse 3] Placement determines the inhibitory effect Somatic shunting keeps the output in check Dendritic veto power silences the branch While synaptic clustering gives signals their chance Cooperative binding amplifies the local zone Competitive dynamics leave the weak alone Integration windows shaped by membrane time Constants that define the computational rhyme [Verse 4] Active channels boost the signal's dying breath Sodium spikes defy the cable theory's death NMDA receptors guard the synaptic gate Magnesium blocks until voltages create Coincidence detection in the dendritic spine Hebbian learning rewires the design [Chorus] Direction flows from proximal to distal zones Rall's equations carved in calcium and bones Inhibition strikes with subtractive force divine Or divisive gates that normalize the line Timing timing timing makes the dendrite sing Order matters everything everything everything [Outro] Cable equations govern voltage decay Sequence selectivity shows the neural way Inhibition placed with surgical precision Transforms the dendrite into decision engine
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