Goals of the course. The purpose of this course is 1) to give the students a better understanding of the principles that neuroscience theories are built on through the use of hands-on experimental procedures and 2) to make students familiar with commonly used experimental procedures
Requirements: In order to receive credit for the class, you must attend all of the sessions and hand in all of the written work (see below) in a timely fashion.
Written work: For most weeks there will be a short write-up of
that day’s activity. Write-ups will be done on 81/2 X 11 inch paper
that does not have any perforated edges (i.e. not torn out of a notebook).
It does not need to be typed but must be legible.
The write-up will involve answering the questions in the
handout. These questions must be answered in full sentences with
the question rephrased in the answer (we should not need to go back to
the handout to find out what question your answer is addressing).
These write-ups will be due at the end of that day’s lab. If your write
ups are unclear or do not answer the questions in the handout you will
be asked to redo them. If you are asked to do so you have one week
to turn in the revised version. Important: We will allow for 1 late
assignment - either a missed assignment or a missed redo of a badly written
assignment. Upon your second late assignment you will be given an NE for
the course.
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| 1 | Feb 10 | Overview | Background & requirements to pass course |
| 2 | Feb 17 | Stereotaxic equipment tutorial | Locating brain regions using stereotaxic techniques |
| 3 | Feb 24 | Label a specific brain area | Tracing fiber pathways to and from precise brain regions |
| 4 | Mar 3 | Histology | Slice, stain & identify brain areas |
| 5 | Mar 10 | Sheep brain dissection | Identifing major brain areas - gross anatomy |
| 6 | Mar 17 | Bioassay of AChE | Quantify the enzyme AChE in various brain areas |
| 7 | Break | enjoy the break! | |
| 8 | Mar 31 | Electrophysiological equipment tutorial | Operating various types of instrumentation for electrophysiological research |
| 9 | Apr 7 | Action potential in Lumbricus terrestris | Generating, recording and interpreting fast changes in eletrical potentials along fiber pathways |
| 10 | Apr 14 | In vitro tissue slice experiment | Generating, recording and interpreting slow changes in electrical potential in hippocampal slices |
| 11 | Apr 21 | Computer simulation | Investigating the results of having various channels in single cells on membrane potential. |
| 12 | Apr 28 | Neurite growth in isolated cervical ganglion cells | Investigating factors critical for neurite growth |
| 13 | May 5 | Perception | How does one interprete the world? What does this say about how our nervous system works? |
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Animal Care and Use Statement: All procedures involving live vertebrates that are to be performed in this course have been approved by Oberlin College’s Institutional Animal Care and Use committee (IACUC). Should you have any concerns about these procedures, please feel free to discuss them with the faculty teaching this course, and/or with the Chair of the IACUC, Ms. Barbara Fuchsman, Cox 100, x8461