TOPICS IN NEUROSCIENCE Fall 2008
Topics in Neuroscience (PHPY N5060) encompasses selected basic information in the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of the nervous system. The student can expect to gain an overall view of the field of neuroscience, experience in reading the literature and in presenting neuroscience topics to an audience. The course material pays special attention to medical aspects of neuroscience.
Instructor: N. Ingoglia (ingoglia@umdnj.edu; ext 24776; MSB H-643)
Reading: The recommended text book is Neuroscience, Ed. by Purves et al., 4th edition, 2007, Sinauer Assoc. The new edition is available at Amazon.com. For a full understanding of the subject matter, students should consult the lecture notes and power point slides posted on the website, and read appropriate sections in Purves.
Class: The course content is divided into three 5 week blocks:
I - Cellular Neuroscience
II- Sensory Systems
III- Motor Systems
Each class begins with a discussion of the material from the previous week and is followed by the presentation of new material for that block. Brain dissection laboratories and conferences/group discussion usually make up the second half of each class.
On the fourth week of each block, students present a talk on a subject chosen from a list of neuroscience subjects. Presentations are of 20-30 minute with discussion to follow in each period
On the fifth week of each block is an exam on the material of the previous four weeks. Questions from previous year’s exams will be made available so that you may see an example of the kinds of questions asked on the unit exams
Student Presentations: Presentations (in most cases) will be based on a topic of particular interest that is not covered in class.
Labs: Labs are either dissection of fixed human brains, review of histological slides of the nervous system or discussion of selected topics from the presented material.
Grading: each exam (3) is worth approx. 30 %; presentations and class discussion are worth approx. 10%. Exams are on the material present in the previous block and for the most part not cumulative.
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