Biology 475/475 Neurobiology Dr Grant Mastick Dr Grant Mastick –FA 311D, X6168 –[email protected] [email protected] –Send me an email: First assignment will.

Biology 475/475 Biology 475/475 NeurobiologyNeurobiology Dr Grant MastickDr Grant Mastick

– FA 311D, X6168FA 311D, X6168– [email protected]@unr.edu– Send me an email: Send me an email:

First assignment will be sent by email First assignment will be sent by email on Wedon Wed

Course websiteCourse website– http://med.unr.edu/homepage/gmasthttp://med.unr.edu/homepage/gmast

ick/BIO475page/index.htmlick/BIO475page/index.html

BIOL 475 BIOL 475 NeurobiologyNeurobiology

A brief overview of courseA brief overview of course

What is neurobiology?What is neurobiology?

Psychology and the “black box”Psychology and the “black box”– Behavioral, CognitiveBehavioral, Cognitive– Physiological PsychologyPhysiological Psychology

Biology: Biology: – Approach of “reduction”: take apart the boxApproach of “reduction”: take apart the box– Goal: understanding underlying mechanism Goal: understanding underlying mechanism

for nervous system functionfor nervous system function This course: cellular and molecular This course: cellular and molecular

neurobiologyneurobiology

My main goalsMy main goals

Integrate cellular and molecular Integrate cellular and molecular biology topicsbiology topics

Training in scientific reasoningTraining in scientific reasoning– Hypotheses, experiments, Hypotheses, experiments,

interpretationinterpretation Learn about brain structure and Learn about brain structure and

functionfunction– Understanding how neurons functionUnderstanding how neurons function

Topics in courseTopics in course

Cell biology of neuronsCell biology of neurons Developmental neurobiologyDevelopmental neurobiology NeurophysiologyNeurophysiology Sensory and motor functionsSensory and motor functions Frontiers of neurobiologyFrontiers of neurobiology

1. Cell biology of 1. Cell biology of neuronsneurons

Neurons: basic partsNeurons: basic parts– Cell bodyCell body– Axon: outputAxon: output

Long, unbranchedLong, unbranched– Dendrite: inputDendrite: input

Shorter, highly branchedShorter, highly branched Distinct shape for each Distinct shape for each

neuron typeneuron type– Thousands of distinct types Thousands of distinct types

of neuronsof neurons How is this regulated?How is this regulated?

1. Cell biology of neurons1. Cell biology of neurons

Incredible specialized cells in nervous Incredible specialized cells in nervous system system

Glia example: myelin insulates axonsGlia example: myelin insulates axons

Glial cell: Schwann cell, “unrolled”

axonMyelin sheath

2. Development of nervous 2. Development of nervous systemsystem

The embryonic brain: The embryonic brain: – billions of neurons billions of neurons self-assembleself-assemble into into

functional nervous systemfunctional nervous system Wiring the brain: the growth cone Wiring the brain: the growth cone

leads the axon to its targetleads the axon to its targetGrowth cone: “Amoeba on a string”

•Crawls through brain, leavingaxon trailing behind•Navigates using chemical cues to find target cell

3. 3. NeurophysiologyNeurophysiology

How neurons signal to other How neurons signal to other cellscells– Other neurons, muscles, glands, Other neurons, muscles, glands,

blood vesselsblood vessels Critical electrical signal is the Critical electrical signal is the

Action PotentialAction Potential– Firecracker analogyFirecracker analogy– Driven by ions passing through Driven by ions passing through

ion channelsion channels– Electrical signal driven along Electrical signal driven along

very long axons to target cellsvery long axons to target cells– Guest lecturer: Dr Jim Kenyon, Guest lecturer: Dr Jim Kenyon,

UNSOMUNSOM– Axon computer labAxon computer lab

4. Sensory and motor 4. Sensory and motor functionsfunctions

Sensory:Sensory:– Physical (or chemical) cues from outside Physical (or chemical) cues from outside

worldworld– Enter nervous system through sensory Enter nervous system through sensory

neuronsneurons Light to photoreceptors; smell to Light to photoreceptors; smell to

chemoreceptorschemoreceptors

Motor:Motor:– Nervous system sends signals to muscles Nervous system sends signals to muscles

Visual Visual processingprocessing Optical illusion:Optical illusion:

Retinal ganglion Retinal ganglion neuronsneurons– Gather signals from Gather signals from

small area of retinasmall area of retina– Integrate (add up) Integrate (add up)

signals signals – Center-surround Center-surround

5. Frontiers of 5. Frontiers of NeurobiologyNeurobiology

Beginning of understanding on Beginning of understanding on cellular and molecular levelscellular and molecular levels– Normal processesNormal processes

Learning and memoryLearning and memory What is “learning”?What is “learning”?

– Neurological diseasesNeurological diseases Guest lectures: Alzheimer’s disease, Guest lectures: Alzheimer’s disease,

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia