EXPLORING THE BRAIN

Neuro 301/BIO 492-01

Spring 2008

 

 

 

Lectures: Fri. 11:00am – 1:45pm, VELS12

 

All information on this syllabus is tentative; you are responsible to check the website (http://www.blackboard.wsu.edu/) on a regular basis to ensure you have the most up-to-date syllabus.

 

Instructor

Dr. Susan Ingram

Email: ingram@vancouver.wsu.edu

Office #: 360-546-9748 or lab #: 360-546-9090

Office hours: CL308V Fri 9:00 – 11:00 am and by appointment

 

Teaching Assistant

Adie Wilson

Email: awilson@vetmed.wsu.edu

Office #: 360-546-9215 or lab #: 360-546-9742

Office hours:

 

Course Goals/Description
This course will provide you with an overview of Biological Psychology or Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system. Neuroscience is a growing and exciting area in science today. The goal of this class is to provide you with an understanding of the neural basis of behavior.

 

Textbook

Two items are required for this course: 1) Neuroscience:  Exploring the Brain.  Third Edition. Mark F. Bear, Barry W. Connors, and Michael A. Paradiso. 2) access to http://www.blackboard.wsu.edu/ for handouts and updates.

 

Online Resources

Class resources (including syllabus, lecture slides, study guides, homework assignments) will be available online using Blackboard (http://www.blackboard.wsu.edu/).  It is your responsibility to download and print these items before class, as hard copies of these items will not be handed out during class.

 

Format:

Reading: Read the assigned reading before you come to lecture.  Lectures will not attempt to comprehensively cover or faithfully follow the readings.  Rather, they will focus on concepts and details that are most important or difficult to understand.  Lecture material (based on readings) will be represented on quizzes and exams.

 

Research Project:  Scientific inquiry is an integral part of understanding science-based concepts.  It is important to think critically about scientific research, especially when it is relayed to non-scientists through popular media.  This project entails finding a reference to a scientific finding in the media (newspaper; magazines; internet; television, etc.), examining the primary source of the finding and writing a research paper on the validity of the research.  More details on this project will be discussed in class.  The Research Project Assignment will include group participation in picking the topic, finding primary research articles and a group presentation of the findings.  Each student will write a separate paper evaluating the primary research article of their choice related to the Group topic.  Refer to Research Project as RP on the schedule.

 

Grading:
There will be two exams. Exams will be based on lecture material and the focus will be the general ideas and concepts covered in lecture.  There will be 10 quizzes, 8 of which will be used when calculating the grade for the class. Your grade will be based on class assignments, quizzes, projects, and in-class exams.  Quizzes and exams cannot be made up. Participation includes being prepared to answer questions during lecture and discussion.

Assignment

Points

8 of 10 Quizzes (10 pts each)

80

2 exams (100 pts each)

200

Research Project

        - Group Presentation (20 pts)

        - Individual paper (100 pts)

120

 

TOTAL  

400

 

The following table shows how grades are scaled. You are responsible for keeping track of how you are doing in the class.

% of possible points

94-100

90-93.9

87-89.9

83-86.9

80-82.9

77-79.9

73-76.9

70-72.9

60-69.9

<60

Grade

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D

F

 

Academic integrity and plagiarism

You are expected to uphold the WSU standard of conduct relating to academic integrity.  You assume full responsibility for the conduct and integrity shall be that your submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be your own work.  Please note that cutting and pasting sources from the internet is considered plagiarism, as is using any ideas that are not originally your own without proper citation.  If you need help determining what is or is not considered plagiarism, please visit me during my office hours.  For more information on plagiarism, please visit http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/plagiarism/main.html.

 

Disabilities
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability.  Please notify the course instructor during the first two weeks of class of any accommodations needed for the course.  Late notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable.  All accommodations must be approved through the Associate Director of Student Services, Jessica Nelson in SS200, 546-9567.

 


Copyright policy

WSU requires all users of campus services to comply with all state and federal laws including copyright laws.  For more information, see: http://publishing.wsu.edu/copyright.

 

Student conduct

Washington State University, a community dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, expects all students to behave in a manner consistent with its high standards of scholarship and conduct. Students are expected to uphold these standards both on and off campus.  When students violate the standards of conduct established by the University, they are subject to university disciplinary process as defined in the Student Handbook.  Violations of the academic integrity standards, as defined in the Student Handbook, also subject students to university disciplinary process.  For more information, please see the Student Handbook: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/handbook/handbook.html.

 

Weather policy:

For emergency weather closure policy, see: http//www.vancouver.wsu.edu/adm/fo/psafety/weather.htm.

 

Evacuation policy:

Emergency evacuation plans are posted in each classroom. Read and be familiar with these plans.  In case of emergency, follow these instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule (subject to change)

Lec

Date

Topic

Reading/Assignment

 

 

1

 

 

F 1/11

 

History of Neuroscience

Neurons and Glia

The Neuronal Membrane

 

 

Chapters 1 - 3

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

F 1/18

 

 

The Neuronal Membrane (cont) Action Potential

 

 

 

Quiz 1 (Ch. 1 - 2)

Chapters 3 & 4

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

F1/25

 

Synaptic Transmission

Neurotransmitter Systems

 

 

 

Quiz 2 (Ch. 3 & 4)

Chapters 5 & 6

 

RP- Group Topics DUE

 

4

 

F 2/1

Structure of the Nervous 

      System

The Chemical Senses

 

Quiz 3 (Ch. 5 & 6)

Chapters 7 & 8

 

 

 

5

 

 

F 2/8

 

The Eye

The Central Visual System

 

 

Quiz 4 (Ch. 7 & 8)

Chapters 9 and 10

 

 

 

6

 

 

F 2/15

 

The Auditory  & Vestibular     System

The Somatic Sensory System

 

 

Quiz 5 (Ch. 9 & 10)

Chapters 11 and 12

 

 

 

7

 

F 2/22

 

MIDTERM: CHAPTERS 1-12

 

 

 

RP – Group Primary Research Bibliography DUE

 

8

 

F 2/29

 

Spinal Control of Movement

Brain Control of Movement

 

 

 

 

Chapters 13 & 14`

 

 

9

 

 

F 3/7

 

Chemical Control of Brain and Behavior

Motivation

 

Quiz 6 (Ch. 13 & 14)

Chapters 15 & 16

 

 

 

10

 

F 3/14

 

Spring Vacation – NO CLASS

 

Spring Vacation – NO CLASS

 

 

 

11

 

F 3/21

 

 

Sex and the Brain

Brain Mechanisms of Emotion

 

 

Quiz 7 (Ch. 15 & 16)

Chapters 17 & 18

 

 

12

 

 

F 3/28

 

Brain Rhythms and Sleep

Mental Illness

 

 

 

Quiz 8 (Ch. 17 & 18)

Chapters 19 & 22

 

13

 

F 4/4

 

Wiring the Brain

Memory Systems

 

 

Quiz 9 (Ch. 19 & 22)

Chapters 23 & 24

 

14

 

F 4/11

 

Molecular Mechanisms of Learning and Memory

 

 

Quiz 10 (Ch. 23 & 24)

Chapter 25

 

 

15

 

 

F 4/18

 

 

GROUP RP PRESENTATIONS

        (~15 minutes each)

 

 

 

RP Papers DUE!

(beginning of class)

 

 

16

 

 

F 4/25

 

 

GROUP RP PRESENTATIONS

  (~15 minutes each) (cont.)

 

FINAL EXAM:

Chapters 13-25