Course Descriptions

BIOL 60200 Cellular Neurobiology

Session Offered:

Fall Credit 3

Prerequisites:

Course Restriction:  Graduate Students Only

Description:

This course is intended as a first course in cellular and molecular neurobiology for graduate students from a wide range of disciplines. Topics will include neuronal and glial structure, axonal transport, electrical properties of neurons, the ionic basis of the action potential, ion channel structure and function, synaptic release, neurotransmitters and neurohormones, neurotransmitter receptors and transduction mechanisms, sensory receptors, neural induction, patterning of the embryonic nervous system, neural growth and trophic factors, neural stem cells, axon guidance, and synaptic plasticity during development. Class meetings are 75% lectures and 25% small-group discussions of the primary literature or computer-based tutorials.  Grading is based on tests of lecture material and assigned textbook readings (40%), homework problems based on paper readings and tutorials (35%), and participation in discussions (25%). Pre-requisites are an undergraduate major in Science or Engineering that included a college level course in Physics as well as a course in Cell Biology or Biochemistry. Students lacking this basic background may be admitted with the permission of the instructor, if they are willing to backfill some basic material with extra readings.

Instructor(s):

Donna Fekete

E-mail:

dfekete@purdue.edu

Textbook(s):

Required Text

From Neuron to Brain, 5th Edition

ISBN 9780878936090

Course Format:

Back to all course descriptions