Fall 2008
Lectures: Tu/Th 4:10-5:25;
Location: 501 Schermerhorn
Recitations:
Graduate students: Tuesday
Group I Tuesday
Group II Tuesday
Group III Wednesday
Group IV Wednesday
Group V Thursday
Instructor:
Jian Yang, [email protected]
Office Hours by appointment through e-mail;
TAs:
Joe Schumacher [email protected]
Cate Jensen [email protected]
Melissa Walker [email protected]
Feifan Zhang [email protected]
Heidi Smith [email protected]
Sara Morrison [email protected]
Required Text: Neuroscience, 4th ed., 2008, Purves et al.
Sinauer Associates,
Supplemental Texts:
From Neuron to Brain, 4th ed., 2001, Nicholls et al.
Sinauer
Associates,
Principles of Neural Science, 4th ed., 2000.
Eric Kandel, James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell
McGraw-Hill Companies,
Recitations: A strong emphasis is placed on readings from the primary literature, which will be discussed in weekly recitations. Students will read and discuss in depth selected research papers. Attendance of the recitations is mandatory and active participation will count in the final grade. Materials discussed in the recitations will be included in the exams.
Class Attendance: Attendance is not taken, however material will be presented in lectures that is not available in the text and which will appear on examinations
Exams and Grading: Exams and Grading: Three exams and a final examination are given. Each exam will cover material since the previous exam. The final examination is entirely on papers from the primary literature. The lowest grade of the three periodic exams will be dropped (students may choose to take only two tests). The remaining exams will each contribute 30% towards the semester grade; the final will contribute 35% and is required. 5% will come from recitation attendance and participation. No make-up exams will be allowed except in cases of serious illness or personal crisis and the student is required to present a letter from the undergraduate dean as well as other supporting evidence (such as doctor’s notes, airline tickets etc.).
SCHEDULE
Sept. 2: Lecture
1. Introduction, Cell Biology of the
Neuron
(Chapter 1)
Sept. 4: Lecture
2. Ionic Basis of the Resting
Membrane Potential
(Chapter 2)
Sept. 9: Lecture
3. Ion Channels
(Chapter 4)
Sept. 11: Lecture
4. Ion Channels
(Chapter 4)
Recitation 1: Doyle et al., “The structure of the potassium
channel: molecular basis of
K+ conduction and
selectivity”. Science 280, 69-77 (1998).
Sept. 16: Lecture
5. Transporters
(Chapter 4 and slides)
Sept. 18: Lecture
6. Passive Electrical Properties of
the Neuron
(Chapter 3)
Sept. 23: Lecture
7. Ionic Basis of the Action
Potential
(Chapter 2, 3)
Sept. 25: Lecture 8. Generation and Propagation of Action Potentials
(Chapter 3)
Sept 30: Lecture
9. Synaptic Transmission: Overview,
Neuromuscular Junction
(Chapter
5)
Oct. 2: EXAM
I (Lectures 1-8, Recitations 1-3)
Oct. 7. Lecture
10. Synaptic Transmission:
Neuromuscular Junction, CNS
(Chapter 5, 6)
Oct. 9. Lecture
11. Synaptic Transmission: CNS
(Chapter 5, 6)
Oct. 14. Lecture 12. Synaptic Transmission: Slow Synapses
(Chapter 5, 7)
Oct. 16. Lecture 13. Presynaptic Mechanisms: Transmitter Release
(Chapter 5)
Recitation 4: Biederer et al., “SynCAM, a synaptic adhesion molecule that drives synapse assembly”. Science 297, 1525-1531 (2002).
Oct. 21.
Oct. 23.
Recitation 5: Fernandez-Chacon
et al. “Synaptotagmin I functions as a calcium regulator
of release probability”. Nature 410, 41-49 (2001).
Oct. 28. Lecture 14. Synaptic Plasticity
(Chapter 8)
Oct. 30. Lecture 15. Biochemistry of Neurotransmitters
(Chapter 6)
Recitation 6: Kopec et al., “Glutamate Receptor
Exocytosis and Spine Enlargement
during Chemically Induced Long-Term Potentiation”. Journal of
Neuroscience 26, 2000 –2009 (2006).
Part III:
Sensory Physiology
Nov. 4. Off (election day)
Nov. 6. EXAM II (Lectures 9-15, recitations 4-6)
Nov. 11. Lecture 16. Introduction: Coding of Sensory Signals
Phototransduction and Color Vision
(Chapter 11)
Nov. 13. Lecture
17. Phototransduction and Color
Vision
(Chapter 11)
Recitation 7: Palczewski,
K. et al. “
Nov. 18. Lecture 18. Mechanotransduction in the Ear
(Chapter
13)
Nov. 20. Lecture 19. Taste
(Chapter
15) and reading
Recitation 8: Zheng J. et al. “Prestin is the
motor protein of cochlear outer hair cells.”
Nature 2000 May 11;405 (6783):149-55.
Nov. 25 Lecture 20. Olfaction (Chapter 15) and reading
Nov. 27 Off (Thanksgiving)
Recitation
9: Zhang, X. and S. Firestein (2002). "The olfactory
receptor gene superfamily of the mouse." Nat Neurosci 5 (2): 124-33.
Dec.2. Lecture
21. Pain
(Chapter 10)
Dec. 4. EXAM III (Lectures 16-21, recitations 8-10)
Dec. 16.
The final exam will
consist of three sets of questions on selected research articles. It is
suggested that you read and analyze these papers prior to the exam, since the
exam will be closed-book; i.e. you CANNOT look at the articles, notes or
textbook during the exam. You may discuss these papers with other students, but
not with the instructors or the TAs.