MCB 170 FA23 SYLLABUS Fundamentals of Neuroscience 3 Credit Hours Instructor Instructional Team MCB Instructional Program Office 127 Burrill Hall Phone voicemail 217 244 6239 Xinzhu Yu Instructor MCB 170 Email xinzhuyu illinois edu Office voicemail 217 332 5711 Eunyoung Kim Teaching Assistant Email eyk3 illinois edu Office location FA23 is remote Class Meeting Schedule Lecture Tuesdays and Thursdays 12 30 1 50 pm Location 23 Psychology Building Instructor s Office Hours Wednesdays 11 am 12 pm Zoom by appointment TA s Office Hours Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 00 10 00 am Zoom by appointment Course Overview and Description MCB 170 aims to provide a systematic introduction to the central nervous system with an emphasis on the structural and functional organization of the mammalian brain Students will first learn fundamental information about the cellular and molecular building blocks of the nervous system And build upon this knowledge we will further explore various circuits and systems that permit information processing action execution emotions and adaptation to environmental challenges Dysfunction of the mammalian brain under disease and injury will be discussed in the context of scientific evidence and history Finally we will introduce critical techniques used in neuroscience research Course Prerequisites Requirements met general education major minor No Course Prerequisites MCB 170 is recommended for first year undergraduate students majored in MCB and Neuroscience Student Learning Outcomes At the end of the course through group projects discussions and activities students will be able to 1 describe the cellular components of the central nervous system explain the mechanistic mechanisms of neuronal communication predict consequences of altered synaptic transmission explain the underlying neurological mechanisms of behaviors describe the neurobiological basis of brain injury and diseases understand the principles of techniques used in neuroscience research Text Materials Information Required textbook Neuroscience Exploring the Brain by Mark F Bear Barry W Connors and Michael A Paradiso Fourth edition Wolters Kluwer ISBN 978 0781778176 Previous edition of the textbook is acceptable Recommended textbook Glia by Ben A Barres Marc R Freeman and Beth Stevens Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press ISBN 978 1 621820 27 7 Course Website Course Tools Canvas Canvas is the communication and course material access system used in this course It will contain course materials in class quizzes weekly discussions assignment submission exams and grading You can log into the course website with your NetID and your NetID password using an internet browser at https canvas illinois edu You are expected to receive notifications from Canvas and check class updates weekly Grading Information and Breakdown Grades will be evaluated based on the following 10 weekly discussion 1 group project 1 2 students group 3 exams the last exam will be the final exam Important Information Class attendance is mandatory absence is allowed for one class and each absence afterwards without instructor approval will account for 10 points deducted from the final grade Exams are based on the materials presented in classes Late submission of discussion project will not be graded One make up exam will be offered in the last week under strict circumstances with approved documentation see Course Policies below Total 1000 points are allocated as below Category Weekly discussion Group project 10 points per week Maximal 100 points Topic selection Point 100 25 2 Outline and references Fact sheet Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Final Exam Total 25 150 200 200 300 1000 Grade Scale Grade by Letter Grade by Point Exams A A A B B B C C C D D D F Point Range 1000 920 919 880 879 840 839 800 799 760 759 720 719 680 679 640 639 600 599 560 559 520 519 480 479 0 4 0 4 0 3 7 3 3 3 0 2 7 2 3 2 0 1 7 1 3 1 0 0 7 0 Muddiest Point Weekly Discussion maximal 100 points Participate in discussion of the muddiest points from the course materials Posting questions answers or suggestions will all be counted as attendance Each week s participation will be given 10 points max 100 points Brain Facts Group Project 200 points Group project must focus on a neuroscience concept Brain Fact Sheet will be submitted by group 1 2 students per group Fact Sheet should not exceed 2 pages preferred fonts are Arial or Calibri Fact sheet must be submitted as PDF files no larger than 15 MB All content must be original Original images are highly recommended if not original please cite the resources Writing should be logical well structured clearly presented and error typo free with scientific supporting evidence References no more than 10 should be included on a second page Fact Sheet examples can be found at https www dana org category brain basics fact sheets Course Policies Unfamiliarity with policies is not a defense for not knowing what they cover Contacting MCB Course Personnel 3 MCB course personnel are more than happy to assist students Emails to instructors TAs or course coordinators will only be answered if they come from an illinois edu account We will only use this account in order to protect your educational information and profile As a student please remember that when you email a staff member it is important to include all pertinent information so that we can assist you in the most efficient and effective manner possible This information includes o The course rubric in the subject line o Your full first and last name o Your NetID the first part of your illinois edu email account o Your UIN 9 digit number that can be found on your ICard o The course that you are concerned about the course personnel often work o Your section letter number o The previous email thread or previous communicated information pertinent to with multiple courses the situation Your cooperation will help us respond much more quickly to your concerns Adding the Course after the Semester Starts We understand that the University has an add deadline 10 days into the semester but the University lets individual courses and or programs determine their policies for late adds We feel that students who choose to add a course late do so at their own discretion with knowledge that there may be points lost in the process Religious Observances and Practices Students are required to submit the Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances Form which can be found at www odos illinois edu Religious Observance