The archetypal one-qubit noisy channels ---depolarizing, phase-damping and
amplitude-damping channels--- describe both Markovian and non-Markovian
evolution. Simple microscopic models for the depolarizing channel, both
classical and quantum, are considered. Microscopic models which describe phase
damping and amplitude damping channels are briefly reviewed.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures. Title corrected. Paper rewritten. Added
references. Some typos and errors corrected. Author adde