Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life
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Peggy Mason
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About this Course
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Learn how the nervous system produces behavior, how we use our brain every day, and how neuroscience can explain the common problems afflicting people today. We will study functional human neuroanatomy and neuronal communication, and then use this information to understand how we perceive the outside world, move our bodies voluntarily, stay alive, and play well with others.
SKILLS YOU WILL GAIN
BrainNeurological DisordersNeurobiologyNeurology
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Beginner Level
Approx. 28 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Catalan, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
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4.95/5 (412 Ratings)
Peggy Mason
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Neurobiology
195,422 Learners
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The University of Chicago
One of the world's premier academic and research institutions, the University of Chicago has driven new ways of thinking since our 1890 founding. Today, UChicago is an intellectual destination that draws inspired scholars to our Hyde Park and international campuses, keeping UChicago at the nexus of ideas that challenge and change the world.
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I've been leading a happier life since I discovered Coursera. The courses and knowledge helped me become more comfortable and confident.
— Sonal T.
When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go.
— Larry W.
My courses taught me to pick up new ideas quickly and apply them to real-world problems. Today, my certificates make me stand out from the crowd.
— Praveen K.S.
I've been leading a happier life since I discovered Coursera. The courses and knowledge helped me become more comfortable and confident.
— Sonal T.
When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go.
— Larry W.
My courses taught me to pick up new ideas quickly and apply them to real-world problems. Today, my certificates make me stand out from the crowd.
— Praveen K.S.
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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Content Rating98%(33,574 ratings)
WEEK1
2 hours to complete
The Nervous System
Neurobiology is a rapidly growing area of scientific research, and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the news and popular culture. In this course, we will study of the nervous system from a biological perspective by exploring the fundamental concepts in neurobiology, including how we sense the world, how we act in the world, and common neurological disorders.
17 videos (Total 85 min), 3 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
17 videos
Introduction: The Bauby Story6m
Ethics and Brain Science1m
I Am a Patient1m
The Four Functions6m
Central Anatomy6m
Meet the Stars: Neurons2m
Parts of the Neuron3m
Neuronal Uniqueness: Stars of the Sky8m
Glial Cells6m
Myelin5m
Demyelinating Diseases3m
Meninges5m
Peripheral Diseases6m
Brain Tumors5m
The Brain and the Spinal Cord2m
Meninges7m
Brain Tumors4m
3 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Clinical Vignette: Brain Tumor10m
Additional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
The Nervous System30m
WEEK2
3 hours to complete
Neural Communication + Embodied Emotion
Neurons are the cells of the nervous system responsible for communicating, relaying, and integrating information. Neurons "talk" to other neurons through a special type of language that involves electrical signaling within individual neurons, and the use of chemical compounds known as neurotransmitters to communicate between neurons. In this module, you will learn more about how a neuron functions at rest, how information is relayed within a neuron, and how neurons relay information to other neurons or target tissues.
In the second half of this module, you will be learning about how the body and emotions work together to produce our everyday emotional experiences. We will look at the enteric nervous system and learn how to discern whether the sympathetic or parasympathetic system is impacting our current emotional state.
SHOW ALL SYLLABUSSHOW ALL
17 videos (Total 99 min), 3 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
17 videos
Electrical Language7m
Electricity Review4m
Action Potential5m
Neurotransmitter Synthesis5m
Neurotransmitter Release5m
Clostridial Toxins: Botox6m
Signal Termination7m
Receptors7m
Metabotropic Receptors7m
Wrap-Up: Neurocommunication2m
Introduction to Embodied Emotion3m
Enteric Nervous System5m
Parasympathetics & Sympathetics6m
Parasympathetic/Sympathetic Balance3m
Autonomic Pharmacology: Adjusting the PS/S System7m
Spinal Cord Injury7m
Wrap-Up: Embodied Emotion5m
3 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Additional Resources10m
Optional Survey on MOOCs10m
1 practice exercise
Neurocommunications30m
WEEK3
4 hours to complete
Neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy tells us how the nervous system is organized. Understanding the form of the brain is essential to understanding its function. By comparing the structure of the brain with a patient's symptoms, neurologists are able to identify the location of certain disorders. Studying how the human brain develops provides insight to why it is organized as it is. This module, you will learn about how the brain develops during gestation, some major pathways in the nervous system, and what can go wrong!
26 videos (Total 206 min), 2 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
26 videos
Introduction to Neuroanatomy7m
Neural Tube Formation5m
Neural Tube Defects10m
Brain Vesicles8m
Expansion of the Cerebral Cortex12m
Two Forebrain Tracts8m
Cerebral Palsy9m
Nerves10m
CNS Regional Functions12m
Hemisphere Functions4m
Aphasia8m
Language Circuits9m
Making a Flat Schematic of the Brain5m
Oxygen and Cerebral Blood Flow6m
Blood Supply6m
Strokes and Tumors7m
Bleeds7m
Spinal Cord7m
Inside the Cranium6m
Telencephalon4m
Cortex7m
Cerebellum5m
Visual Pathway6m
Pituitary Tumors5m
Blood Supply9m
Hippocampus & Alzheimer's Disease10m
2 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Additional Resource10m
1 practice exercise
Neuroanatomy30m
WEEK4
4 hours to complete
Perception and Vision
Perception is how the brain interprets incoming stimuli. Not all stimuli that can be sensed are perceivable, and sometimes those that can be perceived play tricks on us. The systematic ways that stimuli are interpreted (or misinterpreted) show how well the brain can understand our surroundings, sometimes with limited information. This module we will explore perception and vision.This module contains a lot of material, so be sure to start early so that you have time to finish!
26 videos (Total 159 min), 3 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
26 videos
Introduction to Perception4m
Sensory Interpretation: Optical Illusions3m
Sensory Interpretation: Auditory Illusions3m
Sensory Interpretation: Weber's Law4m
Stimulus Set7m
The Road to Perception5m
Name the Senses4m
The Visual Pathway4m
Distance Vision4m
Near Vision + Near Triad7m
Emmetropization6m
Light Path5m
Rods and Cones9m
Central Vision9m
Color Vision8m
Visual Fields8m
The Importance of Edges5m
Visual Perception8m
Learning to See6m
Sheep Brain vs Human Brain4m
Sheep Cerebellum2m
Sheep Brain Parts5m
Sheep Brainstem5m
Sheep Ventricles, pt.13m
Sheep Ventricles, pt.211m
Sheep Spinal Cord & Cauda Equina8m
3 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Clinical Vignette: Albinism10m
Additional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Perception and Vision30m
WEEK5
2 hours to complete
Hearing
The sound of birds chirping in the morning, a babbling brook or crashing waves on the beach, or warm conversation with the ones you love. The experience of all these things requires the ability to hear. Arguably the most important sense for human communication, it is also the most commonly impaired of our senses. In this module, you will learn how the human ear is artfully designed to enhance our ability to hear the human voice. You will follow sound waves as they travel from the external world, to the eardrum, through the bones of the middle ear, and to the cochlea that transduces sound information into neural impulses.
16 videos (Total 80 min), 3 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
16 videos
Introduction to Hearing3m
Experiences of Hearing Loss8m
Hearing Pathways5m
External Ear4m
Rinne Test2m
Middle Ear6m
Inner Ear6m
Cochlear Amplifier3m
Outer Hair Cell Motility6m
Otoacoustic Emissions3m
Hearing Loss7m
Weber and Rinne7m
Expectation: Interpreting Sound3m
Prosody5m
Communication2m
Wrap-up: Hearing2m
3 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Clinical Vignette: One Man's Story of Hearing10m
Additional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Hearing30m
WEEK6
2 hours to complete
The Vestibular Sense & Gaze
The vestibular system and gaze control give us so much but are grossly under appreciated. They are so fundamental that we discount them, assuming that they will always be there. When the vestibular system fails us, its importance dominates our lives. Living with either a vestibular or an eye movement disorder is very disruptive to everyday life. In this module, you will learn how the inner ear is designed to detect and respond to head movements. You will learn about the circuit that connects the inner ear to the motoneurons that control the location of your eyes, allowing us to reflexively maintain our view of an object even as we move about in the world. Finally, we will talk about how you can modify this reflexive control of the eyes and how you can control where you are looking.
SHOW ALL SYLLABUSSHOW ALL
16 videos (Total 82 min), 2 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
16 videos
Introduction to Vestibular Sense4m
The Vestibular Stimulus4m
Canals and Otoconial Masses7m
Hair Cell Orientation6m
Yoked End Organs, Part 15m
Yoked End Organs, Part 23m
Otoconial Disorders5m
Visual Integration3m
The VOR Is Fast4m
Horizontal VOR Circuitry4m
Nystagmus4m
Adapting the VOR4m
Eye Movements5m
Saccades5m
Saccade Circuits4m
Controlling Saccades6m
2 readings
In-Video Quiz Questions and Answers10m
Additional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
The Vestibular Sense & Gaze30m
WEEK7
2 hours to complete
Voluntary Movements
"Voluntary movements are how we interact with the world. The organization of the motor system has implications for how we move, and the types of movements we can make. This module we'll start to explore the organization of the motor system, from neurons to muscles.
This module contains a lot of material, so be sure to start early so that you have time to finish!"
18 videos (Total 89 min), 2 readings, 1 quizSEE LESS
