Neurobiology

The course presents theories of the brain function in a modern and comprehensive way. Neurobiological knowledge and mathematical theories of brain electrical activity allow us to better understand our senses, movements, emotions, memory and consciousness.

Classroom

1. A brief history of neuroscience.

2. Brain cells – neurons and glia.

3. Membrane equilibrium, Nernst potential.

4. Action potential, Hodgkin and Huxley model.

5. Cable theory.

6. Electrical and chemical synapses.

7. Integration in dendrites.

8. The taste system, the olfactory system, the somatic senses, muscle sense and kinesthesia, the sense of balance, hearing vision.

9. Motor activity. Reflexes. Locomotion. Central pattern generators. Voluntary movements.

10. Specific transmitter systems.

11. Emotion.

12. Learning and memory.

1. Introduction. A brief history of neuroscience - from 4000 BC till present times.

2. Brain cells – neurons and glia. Membrane potential. Experimental methods.

3. Electrical and chemical forces, Nernst and Goldman equation, equivalent circuit of the neuronal membrane.

4. Action potential, threshold phenomena, Hodgkin i Huxley model, ionic currents. Expanded version of the single equivalent circuit.

5. Conduction of action potential. Cable theory.

6. The synapse. Chemical synapses and gap junctions. Neuromuscular junction. The quantal hypothesis.

7. Synaptic integration. Solution to cable equation. Rall’s theory. Computational properties of dendrites.

8. Sensory modalities – law of specific nerve energies, sensory receptors, sensory transduction, stimulus encoding. Hierarchical sensory information processing. Lateral inhibition.

9. Chemical senses – the taste system. Taste receptors. Taste pathways. Molecular gastronomy.

10. The dual olfactory system, olfactory receptors, smell images. Mammalian olfactory system. Pheromones.

11. The somatic senses, sensory receptors, active touch.

12. Spinal cord circuits. Gate control theory of pain. Topographical representation, cortical areas, plasticity of cortical maps. Muscle sense and kinesthesia. Muscle and joint receptors.

13. The sense of balance. The vestibular organ, hair cells, Meniere’s syndrome. Vestibulo-ocular reflex.

14. Hearing – hearing ranges, the ear, air/ear impedance, sound intensity and sound pressure level. Functional organization of the ear. Resonance theory of hearing, traveling wave theory, present view, cochlear amplifier. Auditory pathways, sound localization. Auditory cortex – tonotopic representation. Bat echolocation.

15. Vision – the electromagnetic spectrum, photoreceptors – rods and cones, retinal circuits, color vision, daylight and night vision. Cortical columns. Visual pathways.

16. Motor activity. Reflexes. Locomotion. Central pattern generators. Gaits and step cycles. Motor unit recruitment. Motor organization – brainstem centers, basal ganglia, cerebellum, motor cortex. Parkinson and Huntington diseases. Voluntary movements. Movement planning. Pre-motor areas. Mirror cells.

17. Central systems. Specific transmitter systems, drugs and antidepressants.

18. Emotion. The Papez and MacLean circuits for emotions. The amygdala – role in anxiety and pain. Facial expression.

19. Learning and memory. Habituation, sensitization, conditioning. Aversion learning, imprinting, latent learning, vicarious learning. Hebb’s rule. Short- and long-term memory.

Student's workload:

30h - attending the lectures - 1 ECTS

15h - preparations for the lectures - 0,5 ECTS

45h - preparations for the exam - 1.5 ECTS

Total: 3 ECTS

G. Shepherd, Neurobiology

E. Kandel, Principles of Neural Science

D. Johnston i S. Wu Foundations of Cellular Neurophysiology

P. Nunez, Electric fields of the brain.

W.J. Freeman, Mass action in the nervous system.

A.Longstaff, Neurobiologia. Krótkie wykłady, PWN

G.G. Matthews, Neurobiologia. Od cząsteczek i komórek do układów, PZWL

Having completed the course the student:

KNOWLEDGE

- knows and understands the basic principles of the neural system organization and behavior.

- is aware of the tremendous need to expand neuroscientifc knowledge in order to fully understand the brain and its malfunctions.

ABILITIES

- can explain various brain functions based on nervous system structure and physiology.

- is able to read neuroscience papers on his/her own.

SOCIAL AWARENESS

- expresses increased ability to understand oneself and others in terms of sensory perception, feelings and emotions, learning, sleep and wakefulness, and social interactions

- critically analyzes the articles appearing in the popular media.

Written and oral exam

Presence in the classroom has no influence on final grade.

Not applicable