This course is concerned with understanding the biology of the nervous system, focusing primarily on the cellular and molecular bases of neuronal function. Formal lectures cover such topics as nerve resting and action potentials, neurotransmitters and synapses, regulation of neuronal gene transcription and the neural correlates of behavior in organisms with simple nervous systems. Reading original research papers and discussing them constitutes an important part of the course. Some of the topics that may be covered include: transmitter release mechanisms, neural development and its control, plasticity in the nervous system, and clinical disorders such as epilepsy. Laboratories are designed to introduce the students to modern techniques in neurobiology such as intracellular recording, histochemistry, cell culture and calcium imaging. Evaluation will be based on class participation, lab notebooks and reports, two hour exams and a final exam. Lectures and laboratories: six hours a week. Enrollment limited to 30. Prerequisites: Biology 101 and Biology 205 or Biology 212.
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