BIO 150-03 - Introduction to Biological Inquiry

4 credits (Spring Term 2)

Exploring the brain. We will learn how scientists study the nervous system, focusing on the tools that past and current neuroscientists use to figure out how the brain works. We will explore the cellular physiology of neurons, the various sensory systems, motor systems, and “higher” brain functions such as sleep, learning, and memory. We will discuss how the brain manages to coordinate all these various functions, as well as examine examples of what happens when the brain fails” at its job (illusions, diseases, etc). As part of biological inquiry students will be taking an investigative approach to develop hypotheses, test the hypothesis through reading research articles, data analysis, and writing a research paper.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Ranjan