Biophysics of Excitable Cells (PHYS*2030)

Course Information

Instruction

Course Website

http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/~massam/phys2030/

Lectures

Tutorials

(no tutorials in the midterm week, Feb 27th)

Objectives

The main objectives of this course are to provide a basic understanding of the physical phenomena underlying nerve and membrane activity, and to illustrate how these are applied to different types of excitable cells. The specific objectives are:

1. to show how the basic principles of diffusion and electricity apply to biological membranes and individual nerve cells, giving rise to resting and action potentials;
2. to demonstrate how neural processes are utilized in sensory systems, such as the eye and ear;
3. to show how physical principles influence the structure and function of excitable cells.

At the end of the course, students should be able to solve basic numerical problems in the above areas, as well as to understand and explain the integration of physical principles in specific biological examples. Evaluation of a student's comprehension of the course material will involve a combination of solving numerical problems and answering questions about principles and structures of cells and organs in four problem sets, one mid-term examination, and a COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAMINATION.

Course Materials

Required Text

"Biophysics of Excitable Cells" by G.H. Renninger, U. of Guelph, 2003. Available from the Physics Dept. Quiz Room (SCIE1101).

Supplementary Reading {Available in the Library - On Reserve}

1. "From Neuron to Brain" by J.G. Nicholls et al. QP 355.2.K83 2001
2. "Principles of Neural Science" by E.R. Kandel et al. QP 355.2.P76 1991

Evaluation

Tutorials

The course consists of two 80 min lectures plus an one-hour tutorial each week (you have been sectioned into one or the other of the two tutorial sessions), except for the midterm week, Feb 27th, when there will be no tutorial. The tutorials constitute an important part of the course. Approximately three-fourths of the final grades are based on your ability to solve pure numerical problems. Consequently, the tutorials consist primarily of problem-solving sessions based on material presented in the lectures. If you have had difficulty with physics courses in the past and do not attend the weekly tutorial, you should be prepared to spend considerable extra study time on this course.

Please Take Note of the Following

Plagiarism: Although students are encouraged to share thoughts and ideas, all material submitted for grading must be each student's own work. Submitting someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct, and will not be tolerated.

Tentative Lecture Schedule

Final Examination Wed 8 Apr 2009, 8:30-10:30 AM, location TBA
* R - "Biophysics of Excitable Cells", by G.H. Renninger
N - "From Neuron to Brain", by Nicholls et al. (on reserve - see Supplementary Reading above)
K - "Principles of Neural Science", by Kandel et al. (on reserve - see Supplementary Reading above)