Brain Cells
Full course description
In this course, students will learn about the function of cells in the brain from an anatomical and developmental perspective. Neurons are the basic unit of brain function, while non-neuronal cells perform important supporting functions. Students will learn how the development and structure of these cells, at a micro- and mesoscopic level, allow them to perform their specific function. Whereas the course has a strong cellular inclination, the course also covers how the function of individual cells can be linked to perception and other cognitive abilities. Hence, the course draws intricate biological mechanisms determining the functioning of individual cells into the area of psychology. In a subset of tasks, specific cellular functions are also described mathematically. For example, students’ knowledge of differential equations acquired in the preceding Calculus course will permit students to study mathematical models of the action potential. At the same time, these mathematical models foreshadow what the students will learn about multidimensional dynamical systems in the Advanced Calculus & Dynamical Systems course that runs in parallel with the present Brain Cells course, as well as the Biophysical Modelling course in Year 2. Furthermore, students will study examples of neuroscientific techniques available to record and study brain cells. Thus, this course provides students with a solid foundation for all future neuroscientific courses in the program. This includes especially the computational courses in which understanding the assembly and functioning of bio-inspired artificial neural networks depends on a firm grasp on how real neurons operate and communicate.
The final assessment for this course is a numerical grade between 0,0 and 10,0.
Course objectives
- Develop a background in cellular neurobiology, neurophysiology, and neuronal functioning from the micro- to mesoscale.
- Gain an overview of the types of brain cells, their functions and how neurons constitute functional neural circuits.
- Understand neural signalling within and between brain cells.
- Develop a basic knowledge of the neuroscientific techniques available to study brain cells and their functioning at the micro- and mesoscale.
- Work together on understanding complex questions about brain structure and function at various levels of inquiry.