Unit name | Synaptic plasticity |
---|---|
Unit code | PHPH30010 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Professor. Jack Mellor |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
PHPH20009: Neurophysiology, PHPH20010: Developmental Physiology of The Specialized cell |
Co-requisites |
none |
School/department | School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience |
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This Unit will explore some of the advances in the understanding of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the central nervous system. Synaptic plasticity is one of the means by which neurotransmission can be up- or down-regulated and is considered to be fundamentally important for normal functioning of the mammalian brain. The Unit aims to introduce basic concepts surrounding the electrophysiological analyses of synaptic transmission and plasticity. We will then discuss the mechanisms of short- and long-term synaptic plasticity including the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD).
By the end of this Element the student will be able to:
Seminars
The unit will be assessed through one 3-hour summative examination in May/June, which consists of two sections. In section A (50%), students will be expected to answer one essay question from a choice of 3, which will assess their knowledge and critical understanding of the field, and their ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature. In section B (50%), students will be expected to answer one multi-part compulsory question requiring data handling/data interpretation and experimental design.
Reviews and key references from the current scientific literature