Biology 341: Intro to Neurophysiology Fall 2015 PDF

Course Syllabus Fall 2015 BIOLOGY 341: INTRO TO NEUROPHYSIOLOGY INSTRUCTOR: Dirk Bucher ([email protected]) COURSE WEBSITE: http://njit2.mrooms.net/ OFFI...

Course Syllabus Fall 2015 BIOLOGY 341: INTRO TO NEUROPHYSIOLOGY INSTRUCTOR: Dirk Bucher ([email protected]) COURSE WEBSITE: http://njit2.mrooms.net/ OFFICE HOURS: T: 10:30 am, T: 10:30 am – CKB 337 COURSE SCHEDULE: T, F: 2:30 – 3:55 pm in FMH 205 COURSE SUMMARY: This course will examine the nervous system from a functional perspective. The goal is to understand how ion channels and other components of nerve cells give rise to electrical excitability and synaptic function, and how those properties are then used for coding information and higher order function in the nervous system. TEXTBOOK: “From Neuron to Brain" 5th Ed., Nicholls et al., Sinauer © 2012; ISBN: 9780878936090. LEARNING GOALS: AT THE END OF THE COURSE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE... ⍟ To understand in some detail how electrical and chemical signaling within and between nerve cells works. ⍟ To understand the experimental and theoretical approaches used to study neurophysiology, both for basic research and medical diagnostics. ⍟ To understand fundamental principles of how the nervous system uses electrical activity to encode and decode information about the outside world and internal states. ⍟ To further develop critical thinking and communication skills. This will be measured in the ability to interpret graphs, experimental designs, and problem discussion. Students will be required to participate in instructor-led discussions of the material as they analyze problems and propose possible mechanisms used by neurons to solve them. Weekly quizzes will be used to test some of these goals and reinforce the learning of the material. GRADING POLICY & SCALE: Assignment Percentage Grading Scale 25% A 88.1 - 100 Participation & Weekly Quizzes B+ 80.1 - 88 Midterm Exams 30% B 73.1 - 80 Final Exam 30% C+ 66.1 - 73 Homework assignment 15% C 60.1 - 66 D 50.1 - 60 TOTAL 100% F 0 - 50 IMPORTANT RULES AND POLICIES: ⍟ Academic Integrity Code is strictly enforced. ⍟ The use of cell phones and other two-way electronic devices during class or exam times is prohibited. ⍟ If you miss an exam due to a valid medical excuse you need to provide a doctor’s note or other valid and verify- able documentation. The grade of exams missed for a valid reason will be determined on a case-by-case basis. ⍟ Course Repetition Policy: An NJIT student may take a single course no more than four times (counting NJIT and another institutions), including withdrawals. If an undergraduate course is repeated at NJIT or the course is transferred from another institution, only then the lowest of the grades is excluded in computation of the cumulative GPA. All grades are shown on the student's transcript. Page 1  Course Syllabus Fall 2015 BIOLOGY 341: INTRO TO NEUROPHYSIOLOGY SCHEDULE AND COURSE OUTLINE: Class will meet twice every week, unless otherwise noted. WEEK/DATES LECTURE TOPICS Tue, Sep 01 Introduction and course overview – What is Neurophysiology? Week 1 Fri, Sep 04 Neurons and glia cells: Morphological and molecular diversity [Sep 08: last day to Add/Drop a class] Tue, Sep 08 Week 2 Membrane potential I: Ions, channels, Nernst Equation Fri, Sep 11 Membrane potential II: GHK equation and equivalent circuit Passive properties: Input resistance, capacitance, length constant, time Tue, Sep 15 Week 3 constant Fri, Sep 18 Action potential I: Ionic mechanisms Tue, Sep 22 Action potential II: Hodgkin-Huxley formalism, propagation, myelination Week 4 Diversity of voltage-gated channels: molecular identities and effect on Fri, Sep 25 neuronal firing Tue, Sep 29 Review, examples and exercises Week 5 Fri, Oct 02 Review, examples and exercises Tue, Oct 06 MIDTERM EXAM I Week 6 Electrical and chemical transmission: Gap junctions, crayfish escape system, Fri, Oct 09 frog neuromuscular junction. Tue, Oct 13 Central synapses, small molecule transmitters and ionotropic receptors. Week 7 Fri, Oct 16 Homework assignment, no class Tue, Oct 20 Metabotropic transmission, GPCRs, 2nd messenger signaling. Week 8 Fri, Oct 23 Transmitter release I: Quantal analysis. Tue, Oct 27 Transmitter release II: SNARE complex, vesicle pools, postsynaptic receptors. Week 9 Fri, Oct 30 Transmitter types: Synthesis, transport, release, re-uptake and degradation. Tue, Nov 03 Types of communication: Transmitters, neuromodulators, neurohormones. Week 10 Fri, Nov 06 Synaptic plasticity I: Short-term synaptic dynamics. Synaptic plasticity II: Long-term synaptic dynamics. Aplysia gill withdrawal, LTP, Tue, Nov 10 Week 11 LTD Fri, Nov 13 Review, examples and exercises Tue, Nov 17 Review, examples and exercises Week 12 Fri, Nov 20 MIDTERM EXAM II Tue, Nov 24 Sensory transduction, modalities, coding principles. Week 13 Fri, Nov 27 Somatosensory and auditory coding Tue, Dec 01 Visual and chemosensory coding Week 14 Fri, Dec 04 Motor coding: posture and movement control Tue, Dec 08 Review, examples and exercises Week 15 Fri, Dec 11 READING DAY, NO CLASS FINAL EXAM WEEK: Dec 15-21 (FINAL EXAM DATE TBA) Page 2