COURSE
OUTLINE
Required
Texts
None. Handouts and www based content.
Supplementary
Materials
Readings from the primary literature will be assigned on occasion. These
articles will be posted on Blackboard for you to download and print.
Course
Description
The course will focus on the experimentation in primarily neurophysiology
with some emphasis in muscle physiology. Generation of receptor potentials
in sensory neurons will be measured as well as action potentials in
axons. Pharmacological experimentation of ionotropic and metabotropic
receptors subtypes and second messengers signaling will be conducted.
The key role of ion channels and transporters in regulation of the membrane
potential will be covered in great detail. The concept of electrochemical
equilibrium will be introduced and quantitative description of the equilibrium
membrane potential will include discussion of Goldman and Nernst equations
and their applications. The mechanisms of action potential generation,
as a result of synaptic and receptor stimulation within a neural cell,
will be measured in terms of voltage gated ion channels.
The mechanisms of neuron-neuron communication through electrical and
chemical synapses will be examined in live preparations. The function
of gap junction ion channels will be examined and measured at electrical
synapses. The complex intracellular mechanisms controlling neurotransmitter
release at the chemical synapses will be examined. The proteins participating
in the SNARE complex, involved in the synaptic vesicles fusion, as well
as the molecular machinery involved in synaptic vesicles recycling will
be emphasized along with quantal analysis of synaptic transmission.
The historical introduction of the quantal hypothesis and its experimental
conformation will be covered. Synaptic plasticity will be covered up
to the latest discoveries in the field.
Course
Objectives
By the end of this course, you should:
1. Have a conceptual understanding of the information processing in
the nervous system.
2. Understand the molecular mechanisms that enable signal transmission
in the nervous system in terms of receptor potentials, synaptic potentials
and action potentials.
3. Know what are the cellular specializations and the molecular machinery
involved in the neuron-neuron communication at the state of the art
level.
4. Develop a basic knowledge of the sensory processing.
5. Be able to understand and critically analyze research papers in the
field of Neuroscience.
6. Be able to develop new ideas and suggest future research directions
in the field of Neuroscience.
The overall objective of the course is to develop insightful understanding
of the neurological processes at molecular and cellular level by experimentation.
The course will complement other courses offered within the new Neuroscience
Major we are establishing on campus.
Course Work/Grading
Overall
Grades will be based on exams, homework assignments, and class participation.
There will be two exams. Homework due dates and exam dates are listed
in the schedule at the end of this document.
o Class participation: 10% (includes attendance, adding to the discussion
during lectures and journal clubs, and actively participating in in-class
exercises such as problem solving and other activities)
o Conducting all laboratory exercises 30%
o Homework/problem sets: 20%
o Lab report 20% (submitted in a journal publication format)
o Exam 1: 10%
o Exam 2: 10%
All
exams are required of all students. If you are unable to take an examination
as scheduled, it is your responsibility to contact me before the exam.
There will be no make-up exams; students with excused absences will
have their point total for the course pro-rated. Unexcused absences
from an exam will result in a score of zero for that test. Homework
and problem sets that are turned in late will be marked down a point
each day they are late, and they must be turned in before those that
were turned in on time are returned.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be assigned to each topic. The quizzes score will be used
as an extra credit toward your exam score.
Attendance
Required for all laboratory sessions.
Format
In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of neural processing
through a variety of activities, including lectures, problem sets, independent/group
study, and in-class exercises. Please note that you are responsible
for all the material in the assigned chapters, including figures, summaries,
and "boxes," regardless of whether it is covered in lectures.
Thus, you will be responsible for covering some material from the text
or readings on your own.
Blackboard/Class
Communications
Course announcements, assignments, lecture outlines and additional materials
will be posted online using Blackboard. Exams and homework dates will
remain fixed. Updates to this syllabus (regarding topics and reading)
will be posted; please check periodically. You will also receive important
course announcements via your UK e-mail account. If you do not use your
UK e-mail account, you need to activate it. It is strongly recommended
that you check your e-mail regularly. I may send messages-sometimes
with attachments-to the class using this medium. You should also feel
free to e-mail me if you have any questions or problems. Feel free to
call me as well, if you prefer a more personal communication. I am also
available during the office hours. If you would like to meet with me
at another time, please don't hesitate to e-mail or to call, and I can
schedule a time to meet.
Honesty
and Civility
You must abide by UK's Code of Conduct which prohibits:
1. Academic dishonesty and impropriety, including plagiarism and academic
cheating.
2. Interfering or attempting to interfere with or disrupting the conduct
of classes or any other normal or regular activities of the University.
We take plagiarism and other forms of cheating very seriously. If you
have any questions as to whether something is plagiarism, please ask
me, or, if that's not possible, assume that it is and don't do it!
Disabilities
Any student who needs accommodation because of a disability should contact
me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible.
The Office of Disability Resources and Services. They can coordinate
reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
