AMHERST COLLEGE
BIOLOGY 35 - NEUROBIOLOGY
SPRING 2006
BIOLOGY 35 - NEUROBIOLOGY
SPRING 2006
Professor: Stephen GeorgeNEUROBIOLOGY COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS: SPRING 2006
DATE |
|
CLASS |
TEXT |
PAPERS |
OPTIONAL |
ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NERVOUS SYSTEMS |
|||||
Jan.30 |
|
Nervous system organization & cell biology |
1 (3-9, 19-22) |
|
1 (9-19), FN3, FN4 |
Feb. 1 |
|
Development: neurogenesis; migration |
23 (479-497) |
|
FN15, 16, 17 |
3 |
|
Axon outgrowth; synapse formation |
23 (497-512) |
|
FN18, FN19 |
6 |
|
Cell death; trophic factors |
23 (512-523) |
|
FN20, FN21 |
8 |
|
Synapse elimination; denervation; regeneration |
24 (525-548) |
|
|
10 |
|
The role of electrical activity in development |
|
(5), (22) |
|
13 |
|
Neurogenesis in adult mammals |
|
(19) + |
|
14 |
|
Optional evening review session |
|
|
|
15 |
|
In-class exam [January 30 - February 13] |
|
|
|
ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING IN NEURONS |
|||||
17 |
|
Ionic and electrical state of neurons |
4 (all) |
|
2 (all) |
20 |
|
Membrane potentials |
5 (all) |
|
FN6 |
22 |
|
Ionic basis of the action potential |
6 (91-98) |
|
H2 |
24 |
|
Voltage clamp analysis |
6 (98-103) |
|
|
24 |
|
Problem set 1 due |
|
|
|
27 |
|
Hodgkin-Huxley model |
|
(8) |
|
Mar. 1 |
|
Neurons as conductors |
7 (all) |
|
Appendix A, FN5 |
3 |
|
Gating currents; introduction to channels |
6 (103-112) |
|
|
6 |
|
Channel structure and function |
3 (all) |
|
H3-5 |
|
|
Problem set 2 due |
|
|
|
8 |
|
Molecular basis of voltage sensitivity |
|
(9), (11) |
H16-19 |
8 |
|
Optional evening review session |
|
|
|
9 |
|
Evening exam [February 17 - March 8] |
|
|
|
10 |
|
Are brains computers? If so, classical or quantum? |
|
(3), (23), (18) |
|
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION BETWEEN NEURONS |
|||||
13 |
|
Electrical and chemical transmission |
9 (155-166) |
|
FN7, FN11 |
15 |
|
Conductance mechansisms: excitation |
9 (166-170) |
|
FN12 |
17 |
|
Inhibitory synaptic transmission |
9 (171-176) |
|
|
|
|
Spring break |
|
|
|
27 |
|
Presynaptic inhibition |
|
(4) |
8 (all) , 16 (all) |
29 |
|
Indirect transmission |
10 (all) |
|
FN10 |
31 |
|
Neurotransmitter release |
11 (all) |
|
|
Apr. 3 |
|
Synaptic plasticity: introduction to LTP |
12 , 15 (291-304) |
|
15 (304-314), FN55 |
5 |
|
Synaptic plasticity: LTP mechanisms |
|
(13), (17) |
|
5 |
|
Problem set 3 due |
|
|
|
7 |
|
(No class today) Transmitter biochemistry |
13 (all) |
|
14 (all), FN8, FN9 |
NEUROBIOLOGICAL CASE STUDIES: CODING, DISEASE, EPIGENETICS |
|||||
10 |
|
Neurons as computers; neural coding |
7 (128-131) |
|
FN13 |
10 |
|
Optional evening review session |
|
|
|
11 |
|
Evening exam [March 13 - April 7] |
|
|
|
12 |
|
Coding II: the role of spike timing |
|
(16), (20) |
|
14 |
|
Neurons and populations: localization of sound |
|
(6), (12) |
|
17 |
|
Neurobiology of disease: Epilepsy |
|
(21) |
|
19 |
|
Motor control systems |
22 (447-462) |
|
Rest of 22 ,FN29-36 |
21 |
|
Neuronal epigenetics |
|
(25) |
|
24 |
|
Molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases |
|
(1), (14), (24) |
|
26 |
|
Neuroscience and free will |
|
(2), (10), (15) |
|
SENSORY NEUROBIOLOGY: THE VISUAL SYSTEM |
|||||
28 |
|
Introduction to sensory systems |
17 (all) |
|
18 (all), FN23, FN24 |
May 1 |
|
Human vision: absolute sensitivity |
|
(7) |
|
3 |
|
Photoreceptors and photochemistry |
19 (379-394) |
|
|
5 |
|
Vision: retina |
19 (394-405) |
|
FN28 |
8 |
|
Visual cortex: basic physiology |
20 (all) |
|
|
10 |
|
Visual cortex: circuitry & functions |
21 (all) |
|
|
12 |
|
Visual system plasticity |
25 (all) |
|
FN22 |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Final exam, scheduled [April 10 - May 12] |
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Chapter references are to Nicholls et al., From Neuron to Brain , 4 th ed. (2001)
“FN” refers to chapters in Zigmond et al., Fundamental Neuroscience (2003) ;
“ H” refers to Hille, Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes , 3rd ed. (2001)
READINGS FOR BIOLOGY 35, Spring 2006
Textbook : Nicholls, J.G., Martin A. R., Wallace B. G., and P. A. Fuchs. (2001) From Neuron to Brain , 4th edition. Sunderland , MA : Sinauer Associates. (Available at the Jeffery Amherst Bookshop; several copies on reserve in the Science Library)
Scientific Papers (to be accessed on-line – link to the electronic reserves is found in the Course Documents section of the Blackboard course site
(1) Beckman J, Estevez AG, Crow JP, and Barbeito (2001) Superoxide dismutase and the death of motoneurons in ALS. Trends in Neurosciences 24 (Suppl.) 15-20.
(2) Beckman M (2004) Crime, culpability, and the adolescent brain. Science 305 596 - 599.
(3) Churchland PM and Churchland PS (1990). Could a machine think? Sci. Am. 262 (1), 32-37.
(4) Dudel J and Kuffler SW (1961) Presynaptic inhibition at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Journal of Physiology 155 : 543-562.
(5) Fawcett JW, O'Leary DD, Cowan WM (1984) Activity and the control of ganglion cell death in the rat retina. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci . 81 : 5589-93.
(6) Hall JL (1965) Binaural interaction in the accessory superior olivary nucleus of the cat. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 37 : 814-823.
(7) Hecht S, Shlaer C, and Pirenne MH (1942) Energy, quanta, and vision. Journal of General Physiology 25 : 819-840.
(8) Hodgkin AL and Huxley AF (1952c) The dual effect of membrane potential on sodium conductance in the giant axon of Loligo. Journal of Physiology 116 : 497-506.
(9) Horn R (2005) How ion channels sense membrane potential Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 102: 4929-4930.
(10) Hume D. (1746) Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding , excerpts.
(11) Jiang Y, Ruta V, Chen J, Lee A, and Mackinnon R (2003) The principle of gating charge movement in a voltage-dependent K+ channel. Nature 423 : 42 - 48.
(12) Joris PX, Smith PH, and Yin TC (1998) Coincidence detection in the auditory system. Neuron 21 :1235-1238.
(13) Kakegawa W and Yuzaki M. A mechanism underlying AMPA receptor trafficking during cerebellar long-term potentiation. (2005) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 102 : 17846-17851.
(14) Krantic S, Mechawar N, Reix S, and Quirion R (2005) Molecular basis of programmed cell death involved in neurodegeneration. Trends in Neurosciences 28 : 670-676.
(15) Luna B, Garver KE, Urban TA, Lazar NA, and Sweeney JA (2004) Maturation of cognitive processes from late childhood to adulthood. Child Development 75: 1357 - 1372.
(16) Mainen ZF and Sejnowski TJ (1995) Reliability of spike timing in neocortical neurons. Science 268 : 1503-1506.
(17) Moretti P, Levenson JM, Battaglia F, Atkinson R, Teague R, Antalffy B, Armstrong D, Arancio O, Sweatt JD, and Zoghbi HY. (2006) Learning and memory and synaptic plasticity are impaired in a mouse mdel of Rett syndrome. Journal of Neuroscience 26 : 319-327.
(18) Penrose R. (1989) Minds, machines and mathematics. In: Mindwaves, C. Blakemore and S. Greenfield, eds. London : Blackwell.
(19) Rakic P. (2002) Adult neurogenesis in mammals: An identity crisis. Journal of Neuroscience 22 : 614-618.
(20) Reich DS, Victor JD, Knight BW, Ozaki T, and Kaplan E. (1997) Response variability and timing precision of neuronal spike trains in vivo. Journal of Neurophys iology 77: 2836-2841.
(21) Rhodes TH, Lossin C, Vanoye CG, Wang DW, and George AL (2004) Noninactivating voltage-gated sodium channels in severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci . 101 : 11147-11152.
(22) Ruthazer ES, Akerman CJ, Cline HT (2003) Control of axon branch dynamics by correlated activity in vivo. Science 301 : 66-70.
(23) Searle, J. (1990). Is the brain's mind a computer program? Scientific American 262 (1), 26-31.
(24) Von Lewinski F Keller BU (2005) Ca 2+ , mitochondria and selective motoneuron vulnerability: implications for ALS. Trends in Neurosciences 28 : 494-500.
(25) Weaver IC, Cervoni N, Champagne FA, D'Alessio AC, Sharma S, Dymov S, Szyf M, and Meaney M. (2004) Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior. Nature Neuroscience 7: 847 - 854.
Week |
Laboratory |
February 2 |
No lab |
February 9 |
Culture of embryonic neurons |
February 16 |
Introduction to intracellular recording |
February 23 |
Ionic basis of the resting potential: crayfish opener muscle |
March 2 |
Computer lab: Hodgkin-Huxley simulations |
March 9 |
Impulses in a giant axon system: Earthworm nerve cord |
March 16 |
Immunohistochemistry I |
March 30 |
Immunohistochemistry II |
April 6 |
Computer lab: synaptic physiology |
April 13 |
Crayfish neuromuscular junction |
April 20 |
Sensory physiology: Crayfish stretch receptor |
April 27 |
Visual system: frog tectum recording |
May 4 |
Lab practicals |
May 11 |
Lab practicals |
Wednesday, Feb. 15 |
Exam 1 (in class) |
Friday, Feb. 24 |
Problem set 1 due |
Friday, March 3 |
Problem set 2 due |
Monday, March 6 |
Resting potential lab report due |
Thursday, March 9 |
Exam 2 (evening) |
Thursday, March 30 |
Giant axon lab report due |
Wednesday, April 5 |
Problem set 3 due |
Tuesday, April 11 |
Exam 3 (evening) |
Thursday, April 27 |
Stretch receptor lab due |
Week of May 4 |
Lab practical exam |
Week of May 11 |
Lab practical exam |
?? |
Final exam (to be scheduled by the registrar) |
Exam 1 |
12 |
Exam 2 |
22 |
Exam 3 |
22 |
Final |
20 |
Problem sets |
4 |
Lab work |
4 |
Lab practical |
3 |
Lab writeups |
9 |
Responses to papers |
4 |
| Total | 100 |
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