Psychology 3600Fundamental Neurobiology

Fall 2002

Instructor: Glen PruskyOffice: EP-1220

e-mail: prusky@uleth.caPhone: 329.5161

Internet:www.CerebralMechanics.com

Psychology 3600Fall 2002

Course Assistant: Trevor McGillOffice: EP-1244

e-mail: mcgitj@uleth.caPhone: 394.3937

Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00-4:00 PM Thursday 2:00-3:00 PM

Text

Course Outline This course is intended to be a second course in neuroscience after Psychology 2600, and a first in-depth course in cellular and molecular neurobiology following Biology 2000. The emphasis will be on understanding the structure and function of the neuron and the nervous system. I assume that students have no in-depth familiarity with biological science, but be forewarned: this course is primarily a biology course.

Course Material Material for classroom lectures will be derived from all chapters of the textbook and topics will be covered in roughly the same order as the chapters appear in the book. Some chapters will be covered relatively quickly, whereas others will be covered in more depth, reflecting my view of the difficulty and relevance of the material. It should be obvious from each lecture, which chapter in the textbook is relevant, but I will endeavor to announce the topic of the upcoming lecture. Material in some lectures may not be covered in the text. This is because information changes rapidly in this field, my ideas about what is important in neuroscience changes, or I think that other material is useful for illustrating important concepts.

Examination Format There will be 3 exams in the class; two midterms each worth 30% of your total mark for the course, and a final exam worth 40%. Examination material will be derived from information in the text and from that which has been presented in class. The format of the exams will be short answer and short essay and will evaluate both conceptual and factual knowledge. That is, the facts are important, but only as they are needed to develop a conceptual understanding of the course material. Treat the lectures, textbook, and classroom discussions as resources to be used by you to understand the content of the course.

Examination DatesMidterm 1- Thursday, October 3rd

Midterm 2- Thursday, November 7th

Final- Wednesday, December 11th (tentative)

Missed Exams

There will be no make-up exams. When there is a valid reason for missing an exam (ie. documented medical illness), the weight of the missed exam will be apportioned equally to the others.

Mark DistributionA+ (90+)A (85-89) A- (80-84)B+ (75-79)B (70-74)B- (65-69)C+ (62-64)C (59-61)C- (56-58)D+ (53-55)D (45-52)F (45-0)

Consultations Trevor will be available during his office hours, by e-mail or by phone, for discussions related to this course. I am available in my office most of the time. One of the best ways to contact me if I am not in my office is by e-mail. There we can discuss course-related issues or set a specific time for a personal appointment. As a last resort, ask the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN; a.k.a., Exploration Place) secretary, Naomi Cramer (EP-1202; 394.3979), to page me in my laboratory.

Known Absences

I will be attending a conference from November 1-8. Consequently, there will be no class on November 5th and I will not be here to administer the midterm exam on November 7th. There may be other times during the semester when I won’t be able to attend class. If so, I will inform you via the class listserv as soon as I have made my plans.

Brain items in the News…

Quotation For all those who are fascinated by the bewitchment of the infinitely small, there wait in the bosom of the living being millions of palpitating cells which, for the surrender of their secret, and with the halo of fame, demand only a clear and persistent intelligence to contemplate, admire and understand them. Santiago Ramon y Cajal, 1937

Next class…

Signaling in the Brain