Neurobiology

Catalog description

A comprehensive study of how the nervous system functions. The course will first provide as in depth foundation on the function of neurons including the cell biology of neurons, nerve cell communication and the action potential, synapse structure and function, nerve cell specializations including axons and dendrites, how small circuits of neurons are formed and how they function. Having established this basic understanding of nervous system function we will then study a selection of other topics in detail, focusing on how our knowledge is being built though experimental neuroscience. These topics will include synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, the function of larger scale neuronal systems (in particular, the visual system), and the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.