Neurobiology - BIOL 540

Winter 2012 Instructor: Dr. John Layne Office: 808 Rieveschl Hall Tel: 556-9718 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 2-3pm, or by appointment.

Class Time / Location:

MWF 9:00 - 9:50 pm

800 Swift Hall

Required Text: Neuroscience, 4th edition by Purves, Augustine, Fitzpatrick, Hall, LaMantia McNamara & White. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, 2008. Supplemental texts (on reserve in the Chemistry/Biology Library): Principles of Neural Science, by Kandel, Schwartz & Jessell Neurobiology by Shepherd From Neuron to Brain by Kuffler, Nicholls & Martin BE SURE TO CHECK THE COURSE BLACKBOARD SITE FREQUENTLY FOR CLASS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED CLASS MATERIAL. Overview/Goals: Biology 540 is the second of an informal trio of upper-level animal physiology courses (along with Animal Physiology and Sensory Physiology), meant to .provide a fairly comprehensive education in the physiological basis of behavior. The goal of this course is to help you understand the nervous system from cellular physiology and molecular mechanisms to control of complex behavior. Specific goals are: 1) To understand the electrophysiological basis of membrane potentials, action potentials, and synaptic potentials, and to extend these concepts to neural circuits that mediate behaviors; 2) To realize the integrative nature of neurobiology, and the wide range of levels, approaches, animal models and methodologies used in its study; 3) To relate the principles of neurobiology to specific topics that interest each of you. This course serves as a Biology Major Elective for those pursuing a Bachelors degree in biology. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Introductory Sequence (BIOL 101-103; 111-113), Cell Structure and Function (301). Animal Physiology (572) is recommended. Attendance Policy: I do not require attendance (but see below). Grading Policy:

Exams: There will be four exams of equal value. The exams will not be comprehensive but may require you to have knowledge of material from previous exam periods, particularly exam 1. The material to be covered on each exam will consist of lecture material as well as assigned readings. Cell phones, computers etc. are not permitted at all during the exam. Quizzes: There will be three short quizzes per week. These will be administered online (Blackboard). Questions will be based on readings assigned for the upcoming lecture, and must be completed one hour before the lecture. Quizzes will be posted at least 36 hours prior to their respective deadlines. Makeup quizzes follow the same protocol as makeup exams. Class participation: No formal points will be awarded for class participation. However, small adjustments may be made, at the instructors discretion, to the final letter grade, based on class participation. The final class grade will be determined on a standard grading scale to be posted on Blackboard (A, B, C, D, F, including plus and minus grades) as follows: Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Exam 4 Quizzes Total 20% 20% 20% 20% 20% 100 pts 100 pts 100 pts 100 pts 100 pts 500 pts

Once final grades are assigned, there will be no adjustments (except in the case of a clerical error). Extra credit may be offered at the instructors discretion. Failure to take the final exam without prior arrangement will automatically result in a grade of zero for the final, which will be averaged in with the rest of the course grades. Weather: If the university announces that classes are closed on the day that an exam is scheduled, the exam will take place during the next class period. Any changes will be announced via email and on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure that your correct email address is registered with blackboard. Makeup Policy: Make-up midterm exams will not be given unless there is a medical or family emergency; in these cases notification from a doctor or other appropriate authority will be required and it will be verified. The student must notify the instructor prior to the exam that he/she is unable to take the test. The make-up exam must be taken within three weekdays of the originally scheduled time and will consist of a different test on the same subject matter. There is no scheduled make-up exam for the final. A grade of zero will be given to students with an invalid or non-verifiable absence, or who do not contact the instructor within the required time period. Academic Integrity Statement: The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct, and other policies related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with swiftly. If you are unclear on what exactly constitutes plagiarism, talk to me. The Student Code of Conduct document can be accessed at: http://www.uc.edu/ucinfo/conduct.html. Special Needs Statement:

If you have any special needs related to your participation in this course, including identified visual, hearing, or physical impairments, a communication disorder, and/or a specific learning disability that may influence your performance in this course, please contact me to arrange for reasonable provisions to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all course requirements. Some accommodations may require prior approval by Disability Services (513-556-6823). General: To do well in this course, you need to attend classes, take detailed notes during the lectures, participate in discussions (not graded, but helpful to you and the rest of the class), and read any assigned material before and/or after class. I encourage you to sit near the front of the classroom so that you can easily hear and see the material. I will post the PowerPoint lecture slides prior to class, and I highly advise you to augment them with your own notes. Anything that is mentioned in class is fair game for the test, regardless of whether it is written on a slide or not. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in class, contact me before or after class, or by email or phone. I will be checking my email up to 9pm the night before an exam in case you have related questions. --THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION AS NECESSARY--

SCHEDULE:
Date Jan 4 Jan 6 Jan 9 Jan 11 Jan 13 Jan 16 Jan 18 Jan 20 Jan 23 Jan 25 Jan 27 Jan 30 Feb 1 Feb 3 Feb 6 Feb 8 Feb 10 Feb 13 Feb 15 Feb 17 Feb 20 Feb 22 Day W F M W F M W F M W F M W F M W F M W F M W Lecture Topic 1 2 3 4 5 * 6 7 * 8 9 10 11 12 13 * 14 15 16 17 18 19 Introduction Membrane potential Membrane potential Action potential Action potential Martin Luther King Jr. Day Channels and Transporters Channels and Transporters Exam 1 Synaptic Transmission Neurotransmitters and their Receptors Neurotransmitters and their Receptors Molecular signaling in Neurons Synaptic plasticity Synaptic plasticity Exam 2 Somatic sensory system Proprioception and stretch reflex Pain Lower motor circuits Upper motor circuits Upper motor circuits Reading Ch 1, start Ch 2 Ch 2 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 3 * Ch 4 Ch 4 * Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 8 * Ch 9 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 16 Ch 17 Ch 17

Feb 24 Feb 27 Feb 29 Mar 2 Mar 5 Mar 7 Mar 9 Mar 12

F M W F M W F M TBA

20 * 21 22 23 24 25 26 --

Basal Ganglia Exam 3 Cerebellum Modification of Brain through experience Modification of Brain through experience Repair and Regeneration Repair and Regeneration Sleep/Wakefulness Exam 4

Ch 18 * Ch 19 Ch 24 Ch 24 Ch 25 Ch 25 Ch 28