1. 1 Biology 386--Neurobiology n Welcome n Student introductions n Instructor Introduction

2. 2 Goals and Objectives n The goal of this course is for you to gain a solid understanding of the most fundamental aspects of modern neuroscience. The course provides an introduction to an enormous body of knowledge. By necessity many areas will be covered sparsely, but not superficially. n A word on knowledge n A word on reading assignments

3. 3 Goals Objectives n I will be teaching this course at a level deeper than suggested by the text. n Note on the syllabus that we are covering a considerable amount of material...will require that you keep up. n Keep good notes. Not everything covered is in the text.

4. 4 Goals and Objectives  Experimental Neuroscience. The majority of developments in Neuroscience are the direct consequence of experimental work. If you do not grasp the experiments you are missing something central.

5. 5 Goals and Objectives  Structure-function relationships. Structure and function, at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels are mutually explanatory. An emphasis on these relationships makes it easier to grasp many concepts.

6. 6 Goals and Objectives  The history of Neuroscience. The path of discovery is often tortuous and stories do not develop as neatly as textbooks portray it. An understanding of how things happened will help you retain important concepts. We tend to remember stories.

7. 7 Organization of Course n Text:Buy the text and bring it to class (illustrations) n Note at end of chapters: –Review questions (may have some on tests). –Glossary- use glossary or index to look up things you may not be familiar with--part of investigative learning. Learn these words. You cannot talk Neuroscience without them.

8. 8 What I Expect of You n Participation n Timely attendance to class n A word on note taking

9. 9 C. Levinthal n The magic word is “pass”

10. 10 The Brain n Men ought to know that from the brain, and from the brain only, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, grief, and tears. Through it, in particular, we think, see, hear, and distinguish the ugly from the beautiful, the bad from the good, the pleasant from the unpleasant. It is the same thing that makes us mad or delirious, inspires us with dread and fear, whether by night or by day, brings sleeplessness, inopportune mistakes, aimless anxieties, absent- mindedness, and acts that are contrary to habit.

11. 11 The Brain n These things that we suffer come all from the brain, when it is not healthy, but becomes abnormally hot, cold, moist, or dry, or suffers any other unnatural affection to which it is not accustomed. Madness comes from its moistness. When the brain is abnormally moist, of necessity it moves, and when it moves neither sight nor hearing are still, but we see and hear now one thing now another, and the tongue speaks in accordance with the things seen and heard on any But all the time the brain is still, a man can think properly.

12. 12 Is that true? n The brain is made of neurons n Neurons do not divide n Neurons are beautifully spaced (Fig. 2.7) n We use only 10% of our brain n Intelligence is easily measurable, as a single variable (G). Some races are smarter than others. n The brain is a deterministic machine. (remember Hippocrates. The mind is just a manifestation of the causal interactions between the machine’s parts.

13. 13 Syllabus/Organization of course n Please examine your syllabus carefully n Absence Policy –Please let me know if you have to miss a test. –Late exams permitted but justification is required

14. 14 Organization of Course n Grading –3 class tests 2@ 75, 1@ 100=250 points –1 final @ 100 –Problem set 50 points (a good sample of possible exam questions) –Participation 50 points –Total450 points n Tests –Subject to the code of academic integrity –dates –Type n Office hours