Neurobiology (saylor.org)

Neurobiology is all about the biology of our nervous system, from the spinal cord to the brain—and everything in between. The nervous system allows us to have conscious thoughts, enables us to learn, and gives us voluntary control of our muscles.

Our understanding of neuroscience begins with the ancient Egyptians, who practiced surgical drilling to treat certain neurological disorders. The earliest philosophers believed that the heart (not the brain) was the center of consciousness and intelligence. As scientific knowledge matured and developed, philosophers disproved that belief but discovered that there is much more to neurobiology than “the brain.” Researchers found that there are literally hundreds of billions of nerves and other cells that cooperate and share information to make the nervous system work. Accordingly, neurobiology is an extremely complex field of study.

This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the most important areas of neurobiological study. We will not pay much attention to those aspects of the nervous system that continue to baffle scientists today (and there are many!). After a general introduction and review of pertinent scientific concepts, we will take a look at cellular signaling (the way in which nerve cells communicate with one another). Next, you will learn about neuron development and plasticity, or the ways in which neurons adapt and shape their connections throughout our lifetimes. Lastly, we examine the larger systems of neurobiology, such as the sensory and motor systems, and take a look at the complex phenomena of memory and emotion.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the basic biochemical concepts pertinent to cell biology.
Identify the basic structure of the nerve cell, the various functions of different components of the nerve cells, and different types of nerve cells.
Describe various different nervous systems.
Describe the structure and function of the nervous systems.
Explain how nerve cells propagate and transmit nervous impulses.
Describe select diseases caused by malfunctioning or nerve cell death in parts of the nervous system.
Explain how the nervous system responds to nerve damage or death and therapeutic measures.
Describe how the nervous system is formed in the embryo and identify the role of various genes and hormonal regulators in that development process.
Describe the structure and function of the brain and spinal cord.
Describe the structure and function of the somatic sensory system and the motor system.