516-209 Introductory Neuroscience

This is a joint anatomy and cell biology and physiology subject.

Life science package OR any first-year biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics subject. Prerequisites may be waived by the Head of Department.

This subject provides a broad introduction to neuroscience. The topics covered range from the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neural function to an introduction to complex behaviours such as thought and language. It forms an ideal grounding for the more specialist third-year neuroscience subjects and should be taken by all students looking to major in neuroscience. Because of its broad nature, it is also suitable for students who wish to learn something about neuroscience without majoring in the topic.

The subject aims to provide the student with:

• an appreciation of how human behaviour, including complex functions like thought and emotion is mediated by the brain;

• an understanding of how neurons form the building blocks of the nervous system, how they transmit information by electrical impulses, how they communicate with each other, how they are connected to form elementary circuits, how they store information;

• insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms fundamental to neural function;

• a picture of the inter-relationships of the various parts of the nervous system; the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, automatic nervous system;

• an appreciation of the fundamentals of systems underlying sensory perception, including the transduction of sensory stimuli (for example light and sound) and the processing of sensory information by neuronal populations leading, ultimately to perception;

• an understanding, at an elementary level, of how the nervous system initiates and controls movements of the body; and

• an appreciation of the plasticity of the nervous system, how it adapts to changing environments, how it ages, how nerve injuries may be repaired or may lead to irreversible damage.

3-hour end-of-semester written examination; continuous assessment during the semester comprising a maximum of four ten-minute tests.