Introduction to Neuroscience

Fundamentals of Neuroscience

• What is Neuroscience?

  • Study of the nervous system to understand behavior, encompassing cognitive, behavioral, and molecular studies.

  • Broad range of questions about the nervous system.

• Basic Features of the Nervous System

  1. Mechanisms by which neurons produce signals.

  2. Inter and intracellular communication.

  3. Regulation of the nervous system.

  4. Relation to behavior; modification of neurons and connections via synaptic plasticity.

History of Neuroscience

• Prehistoric Ancestors

  • Evidence of neurosurgery over 7000 years ago.

• Ancient Egypt

  • Knowledge of brain damage was acknowledged.

• Ancient Greece

  • Hippocrates (460 - 379 BC): Proposed that the brain was involved in sensation and intellect.

  • Aristotle (384 - 323 BC): Argued the heart was the center of thought and intelligence.

Developments in Neuroscience

• Ancient Rome (2nd Century)

  • Galen executed dissections and anatomical drawings of the brain, recognizing its role in sensation and memory.

• 18th Century

  • Comprehensive descriptions and dissections of the nervous system.

  • By the late 1700s, established that brain injuries were serious.

  • Discovery of distinct areas of the brain with specific functions.

Progress in the 19th Century

• 1830s

  • Schleiden and Schwann established Cell Theory. Histology began to study tissue structures microscopically.

• 1865

  • Deiters published intricate drawings of nerve cells.

• Franz Nissl

  • Developed a staining method for nuclei, differentiating neurons from glia.