Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Describe the formation of synaptic connections in developing nervous systems, including the mechanisms and importance of axon guidance, and the role of synapse elimination in the normal development of the nervous system.
• Provide a molecular and cellular view that explains information transfer within the nervous system, from action potentials in the pre-synaptic cell through synaptic transmission to the activation of the post-synaptic neuron and its axonal output.
• Describe the experimental methodologies used in these investigations and be able to explain the significance and advantages/disadvantages of each form of observation.
• Describe the mechanisms of synaptic signaling in the mammalian CNS and their modulation.
• Describe and give examples of the structure function relations receptor super families that are functionally important in the brain. This includes examples of ligand-gated receptors , voltage gated ion channels and the G-protein coupled receptors.
• Explain the basic principles of intra- and inter-cellular information with reference to synaptic transmission.

• Axon guidance and target innervation
• Mechanisms and modulation of synaptic neurotransmitter release
• G-protein coupled receptor function
• Structure and function of voltage-gated channels
• Cellular integration of voltage gated channel function
• Ligand gated channel function
• Molecular and cellular basis of information transfer in the nervous system

Lectures

Flipped Learning based on primary literature.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.