Bi/CNS 150
Profs:

Ralph Adolphs
Henry Lester

Neuroscience

Caltech
Fall 2011

 

Catalog Description

Bi/CNS 150. Neurobiology. 10 units (4-0-6); first term. General principles of the function and organization of nervous systems, providing both an overview of the subject and a foundation for advanced courses. Topics include the physical and chemical bases for action potentials, synaptic transmission, and sensory transduction; anatomy; development; sensory and motor pathways; memory and learning at the molecular, cellular, and systems level; and the neuroscience of brain diseases. Instructors: Adolphs and Lester.

Lectures will be held at MWF 11-12 in the 
1st Floor Broad Center Lecture Hall

 


News

9/26/2011

Welcome to bi150!

9/26/2011 Problem set 0 posted (optional, for self-evaluation)
10/26/2011Midterm is posted.  Problem set answer keys are posted, too.
11/11/2011Midterm distribution.
11/16/2011Midterm Answer Key.
12/2/2011Final is posted.  Problem set answer keys are posted, too.

Contacts

Contact information for the following people is on the Instructors & Recitation Sections page.

For questions about specific recitation sections, email the section TA.
For issues with the website, email Brad.

 


Course Calendar & Links

Please refresh your browser to make sure you are seeing the most recent version of this page.
Lecture slides are often posted in draft form the evening preceding the lecture, by 9 PM.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

September 26

September 27

September 28

September 29

October 30

Introduction to the course.  Membrane proteins, structure, and function.

(Lester)

 

 

Voltage-dependent channels and action potentials. Part 1

(Lester)

Video

Molecular Biology Boot Session

7:30 PM 1st Floor Broad Center Lecture Hall

(Lester)

Voltage-dependent channels and action potentials. Part 2

(Lester)

Video

Chapters 6-9;

(Chapters 3,4, and 5 should be familar from bi 8/9)


Problem Set 0

Chapters 6-9;

(Chapters 3,4, and 5 should be familar from bi 8/9)

 

Chapters 6-9;

(Chapters 3,4, and 5 should be familar from bi 8/9)

October 3

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

Synapses, 1: Presynaptic Transmitter release

(Lester)

Video

Electrophysiology Boot Session

7:30 PM 1st Floor Broad Center Lecture Hall

(Lester)

 


Synapses, 2: The ACh receptor; ion channel pharmacology

(Lester)

Video




 


Discussion Section

Inhibition; electrical integration in cerebellum; cable properties of neuron

(Lester)

Video

Chapters 11, 14

Problem Set 1

Chapters 11, 14

 

Chapters 12

October 10

October 11

October 12

October 13

October 14

Glutamate Receptors in the CNS

(Lester)

Video

 

 Problem Set 1 Due at 4:30 PM

Learning & Memory 1.  Synaptic Plasticity

(Lester)

Video

 

Discussion Section

Inward rectifiers, Glia; advanced electrophysiology techniques 

(Lester)

Video

 

Chapters 12

Problem Set 2

Chapters 63 

 

Pages 20-21, 119, 128

October 17

October 18

October 19

October 20

October 21

The G Protein Pathway in Neuroscience

(Lester)

Video

 

Problem Set 2 Due at 4:30 PM

Recreational Drugs

(Lester)

Video

Discussion Section

Development of the nervous system.  Part 1

(Lester)

Video

 

Chapters 13

Problem Set 3

Nestler, Hyman, and Malenka

 

Chapters 52-56 (see powerpoints for details) 

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

October 28

Development of the nervous system

(Lester)

Video

 

Problem Set 3 Due at 4:30 PM

 

Basic Anatomy of the Central Nervous System

(Adolphs)

Video

 

 

No discussion section planned

Vision 1. The retina and detection of light


(Lester)

Video

Chapters 52-56 (see powerpoints for details) 

Midterm

Chapters 1, 17

 

Chapters 26

October 31  

November 1

November 2

November 3

November 4

Vision 2. The Visual System From retina to visual cortex

(Adolphs)

Video

 

 Midterm Due at 4:30

Vision 3. Cortical processing and object recognition

(Adolphs)

 

Video

Discussion Section

The auditory system

(Adolphs)

Video

 

 


Chapters 25, 27

 

Chapters 25, 27

 

Chapters 30, 31

November 7

November 8

November 9

November 10

November 11

The Somatosensory System

(Adolphs)

Video

 

 

The motor system

(Adolphs)

Video

 

Discussion Section

Circadian Rhythms

Andrew Steele

Video 

 

Chapters 18, 23

Problem Set 4

 

Chapters 33, 34, 38

 

TBD

November 14

November 15

November 16

November 17

November 18

The olfactory system

(Lester)

Video

 

Problem Set 4 Due at 4:30 PM

Learning and Memory 2. Types of Memory; basic anatomy of limbic system

(Adolphs)

Video

 

Discussion Section

Learning and Memory 3. Roles of brain areas in memory function

(Adolphs)

Video

 

Chapters 32

Problem Set 5

Chapters 62

 

Chapters 19

November 21

November 22

November 23

November 24

November 25

Neurodegenerative Disease: Alzheimer’s & Parkinson's disease


(Lester)

Video

Problem Set 5 Due at 4:30 PM

 

Autism

(Adolphs) 

Video

 

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY  

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Chapters 58

Problem Set 6

 

none

 

 

November 28

November 29

December 30

December 1

December 2


Emotion and Social Behavior


(Adolphs)

Video

Problem Set 6 Due at 4:30 PM

Psychiatric Disease 1. Aminergic Systems, Mood and Depression

 

 (Adolphs) 

Video

 

Psychiatric Disease 2. Schizophrenia

(Lester) 

Video

Chapters 49

 

Chapters 61

 

Chapters 60

Final Exam: out December 2,
DUE December 9 at 5:00 PM