Syllabus - Biology 4300

Neurobiology

Fall 2008

MW 11:00-12:15

SUPP 112

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to give undergraduate students an overview of neuroscience, particularly the areas of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, developmental neurobiology, and cellular neurobiology.

Approach

Material will be presented mainly in lecture with topics mostly following the presentation format of Neuroscience 4th ed. by Purves, et al., the text required for this course. Questions are encouraged. Lecture topics are presented below with a rough outline of the schedule.

Date	Topic	Relevant Chapters in Text
Aug 27	Overview of the nervous system Anatomy	1
Sept 3-10	Electrical signals, membrane permeability, channels and pumps	2-4
Sept 15-17	Synaptic transmission	5
Sept 22-24	Neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter receptors and their effects	6-7
Sept 29	Exam I (click for old exam) Advice on Studying
Oct 1	Synaptic plasticity	8
Oct 6-8	The somatic sensory system and pain	9-10
Oct 13-15	Vision and central visual pathways	11-12
Oct 20-22	The auditory and vestibular systems	13-14
Oct 27-29	The chemical senses	15
Nov 3	Exam II (click for old exam)
Nov 5	Spinal cord circuits and motor control	16
Nov 10-12	Descending control of spinal cord circuitry	17
Nov 17-19	Modulation of movement	18-19
	Eye Movements
Nov 13	Exam III/Make-up Exam
Nov 26	Early Brain Development	22
Dec 1	Construction of Neural Circuits	23
Dec 8	Modification of Brain Circuits	24-25
Dec 15, 11 am – 1:30 pm	Final Exam

Course grades

Please see pdf version of syllabus.

Attendance Policy

Attendance of lectures is the responsibility of the student. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that (1) success in a course is generally correlated with attendance (I have no idea what the r2 value is), and (2) part of your assessment is based on “pop” assignments, and (3) Murphy's law indicates that all extra credit and tips for the exam will be given on the one day that YOU are absent.

Academic dishonesty

University policies regarding academic dishonesty, including definitions and disciplinary actions, can be found at http://www.swt.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html. In addition to other possible disciplinary actions, students caught in an act of academic dishonesty will receive an "F" in the course. This action applies even if the work in question is for extra credit. Students should be aware that representing someone else's work or thoughts as your own represents plagiarism, even if the appropriate literature citation is given. Students should direct questions relating to academic dishonesty to Dr. García. Anonymous allegations of academic dishonesty will not be investigated. Other allegations will be investigated, and the identity of the accuser will be protected to the extent possible.

Contact information

Dr. Dana M. García

254 SUPP

245-3368

dana_garcia@txstate.edu