CORE-UA 306 LIFE SCIENCE: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR Sample Syllabus
This CORE course satisfies the Natural Science II requirement. The labs are designed to give you hands-on experience that is relevant to the class material. This should facilitate understanding the lecture material and provide deeper understanding of the lecture material and concepts, which can seem abstract. The labs also give you an opportunity to experience how science works, that it is a creative interpretative process that requires meticulous attention to detail as well as integrating information and observations into concepts. You will write up each lab, which documents the lab experience, record notes, and expresses ideas. Some labs will use animal tissue or living animals. Lab reports must be handed in to your TA before the start of lecture on Tuesday.
LABS PRIOR TO EXAMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS REVIEW SESSIONS.
These times have been allocated to provide you with an extra opportunity to review material and clarify understanding of the course material.
COURSE POLICY ON LAB ATTENDANCE
Performing experiments and analyzing data are central to scientific inquiry. For this reason, the lab component of the course is an essential part of your learning experience. You are required to attend all lab sessions during the semester and arrive on time according to the lab schedule. According to NYU policy, attendance exceptions are made for religious observances. If you miss a lab because of illness, you are required to provide documentation in the form of a medical note. The importance of the lab experience means that repeated absences will result in a failing grade for the course.
REQUIRED TEXTS
The Mind’s Machine – Foundation of Brain and Behavior Watson and Breedlove. Oxford University Press, 2019, Third Edition The textbook has online resources you should examine: http://3e.mindsmachine.com
LIFE SCIENCE: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR Lab manual (available at the bookstore)
CLASS WORK AND HOME WORK
You will be assigned readings, podcasts or movies on topics of interest from the media and there will be short quizzes on the assignments in lecture.
EXAMS
There will be three exams (2 midterm exams and a cumulative final exam). The questions will be based on material from the lectures and assigned readings. Questions will be multiple choice, fill-in the blank, short answer, simple drawing, and short essay types.
NOTE THE EXAM DATES ON THE SYLLABUS. THERE ARE NO MAKEUP EXAMS. If you miss a midterm exam, the grade on the final will count proportionately more.
GRADING
Grades will be determined according to the following breakdown: 20% Midterm Exam 1 20% Midterm Exam 2 30% Final Exam 25% Labs 5% Classwork and Homework
SYLLABUS
Week 1
Lecture 1. Introduction: Brain and behavior an intimate couple (integrating across levels and scales of complexity)
Reading: Chapter 1
Lecture 2. Brain Organization 1: Structure and function - another intimate couple
Reading: Chapter 2
Week 2
Lecture 3. Bioelectricity: Electric meat (fat, water and salt)
Reading: Chapter 3 p. 54-66
Lecture 4. Neural communication I: The exciting electrical language of neurons
Reading: Chapter 3 p. 66-70
Lab 1. The Scientific Method
Week 3
Lecture 5. Neural communication 2: Synapses – connections, networks and influence
Reading: Chapter 3 p. 70-80
Lecture 6. Neural communication 3: Synapses - circuits and networks for exchanging drugs
Reading: Chapter 4 p. 82-99
Lab 2. Sheep Brain Dissection
Week 4
Lecture 7. Neural communication 4: Membrane Physiology Review
Reading: Review lectures 2-6
Lecture 8. Neurodevelopment or how to build something really complicated
Reading: Chapter 13 p.402-417
Lab 3. A model dendrite
Week 5
Lecture 9. Hormones and Sex - action at a distance Reading: Chapter 8 p.216-234
Lecture 10. Stepping back: Evolution/Animals are models too Reading/Viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQLyqWaCbA
Lab 4. Microscopy and Neuronal Visualization
Week 6
Lecture 11. Sensation and touching in your head 1
Reading: Chapter 5 p.118-129 Lecture 12. Sensation and touching in your head 2
Reading: Chapter 5 p.129-136
Lab 5. Somatic sensation
Week 7
Lecture 13. Review material on midterm exam.
Lab: Review to prepare for midterm exam
Week 8
Midterm Exam 1 (in class) Lecture 14. Ear hairs – Hearing
Reading: Chapter 6 p. 152-168 Build your own brain
Week 9
Lecture 15. Even more ear hairs – Balance and equilibrium
Reading: Chapter 6 p. 169-171; Fenton Notes on the Vestibular system
Lecture 16. Seeing and perceiving: how brains see 1
Reading: Chapter 7 p.182-194 Lab 7. Vision
Week 10
Lecture 17. Seeing and perceiving: how brains see 2
Reading: Chapter 7 p.194-202
Lecture 18. Moving, how complicated could it be?
Reading: Chapter 5 p.136-150
Lab 8. Reaction time
Week 11
Lecture 19. Neural representation and computation
Reading: Where Am I? Where am I Going? By May-Britt and Edvard Moser, Scientific American 2016, 314:26-33.
Lecture 20. Representing experience: Attention, ‘truthiness’ and the learning and memory process Reading: Chapter 14 p.418-432
Lab: Review to prepare for midterm exam
Week 12
Midterm Exam 2 (in class)
Lecture 21. Memory 1: Amnesia, memory and the learning process
Reading: Chapter 13 p.378-391
Lab 9. Action potentials in cockroach
Week 13
Lecture 22. Memory 2: Synaptic and molecular plasticity
Reading: Chapter 13 p.392-402
Week 14
Lecture 23. Memory 3: Persistent storage
Reading: Reading assignment: NYT piece on PKMzeta: “Focusing on a memory molecule”
Lecture 24. Sleep – active brain behavior
Reading: Chapter 10 p.297-316
Lab 10. C. elegans behavior
Week 15
Lecture 25. Mental Illness and brain dysfunction 1
Reading: Chapter 12, Reading assignment: NPR: “Halting Schizophrenia Before It Starts”
Lecture 26. Mental Illness and brain dysfunction 2 Spectrum Viewpoint: “How a ‘pacemaker’ for the brain could ease autism traits”
Lab: Review to prepare for final exam. Do course evaluations
Final Exam