BiS 328

Brain Science Fundamentals

Fall 2013

Lecturer: Christopher Fiorillo, fiorillo@kaist.ac.kr, 350-4326 Time: MWF, 13:00 - 13:50 Classroom: Chung Moon Soul Building, Room 219

Course Description
This course is intended to serve as an introduction to neuroscience. The typical approach to teaching an introductory neuroscience course is to focus almost exclusively on the mechanics of brain function (the biophysical mechanisms by which molecules and cells interact in the brain). This course will cover basic biophysical mechanisms at all levels from molecules to neurons to neural systems. However, in addition, this course will cover theoretical aspects of information processing and how information processing relates to both the mechanics of the nervous system and the systems general computational goals. Whenever possible, I will try to explain why the nervous system has particular mechanistic features, rather than just having students memorize the mechanistic features.

Credit 3 units Grading 3 Exams (1/3 each). Materials Bear, Connors, and Paradiso, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. 3rd Edition. Prerequisites The course does not assume any specific knowledge of the nervous system. However, students are expected to have had college courses in chemistry and cell and molecular biology.

Lecture Content
1. Course Introduction 2. Overview of Function 3. Overview of Mechanics 4. Passive Electrical Properties of Neuronal Membranes 5. Active Electrical Properties (Action Potentials) 6. Voltage-regulated Ion Channels 7. Synapses 8. Neurotransmitters and Receptors 9. General Anatomy 10.Theoretical Aspects of Learning 11. Development of Neural Connectivity 12. Synaptic Mechanisms of Learning 13. Overview of Sensory Systems 14. The Retina 15. The higher visual system 16. Reward and Attention 17. The Motor System