Neurobiology 1400-226NBIOL-W

Lecture: 1. Fundamentals of nervous system action. Cellular components of the nervous tissue. Neuron as a basic cellular element of nervous system. Structure and classification of neurons and glia cells. Membrane potential and action potential. 2. Synapses – structure, types and action. Molecular structure of presynaptic membrane, postsynaptic membrane and synaptic vessicles. Types of receptors. The process of chemical neurotransmission. 3. Classification of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. Biosynthesis release and function of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitter receptors. Intracellular signaling - cascade of the secondary messengers. 4. Development of the nervous system of insects.Structure of the insect nervous system and sense organs. The differentiation of the nervous system during embryonic development. The structure of the nervous system of the larvae. Changes in the structure of the central and peripheral nervous systems during metamorphosis. Molecular basis of neurogenesis during development of Drosophila melanogaster. Architecture of the nervous system and its relationship with the organs of the senses during metamorphosis. 5. Central nervous system development of vertebrates – how it works that we all have brains and why so similar? Discipline of cell migration and cell metamorphosis.6. Taste and smell. Description of the structure and function of chemoreceptors. Phasic and tonic receptors are discussed. Short historical review on smell and taste studies. Structure of olfactory epithelium and taste buds as well as the olfactory and gustatory nervous pathways.7. Auditory system from the Hammer to the auditory cortex. Air density fluctuation analysis – from the Fourier transform to the binaural columns.8. Vision from retina to the Visual cortex. Visual information processing on subsequent levels of information analysis – shedding the light on interpretation.9. The neurobiological basis of sleep and wakefulness. Neurophysiology of sleep and wakefulness, vigilance and attention, awareness, rapid and non-rapid eye movement sleep, sleep centres in the brain, biological functions of sleep, effects of sleep deficiency.
10. “Brain gender”. The main anatomical and functional differences between male and female brain. The effects of gonadal hormones on the development of preoptic area and ventromedial nucleus as the main brain centers controlling sexual behaviour.11. The neurobiological basis of learning. 12. The neurobiological basis of memory. The classification of memory, anatomical basis of memory, declarative memory, learning, long term potentiation (LTP), spatial and emotional memory, anatomical basis of spatial and emotional memory, cognition, memory consolidation, spatial memory tasks, emotions and drives, expressions of emotions.13. Theneurobiological basis of pain (nociception). The history of pain theory, types of pain, pain receptors and mediators, anatomical basis of pain perception, ascending and descending pain pathways, theory of pain gate control .