Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/neurobiology

Introduction

### Course Review: Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life #### Overview “Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life” is a captivating online course offered on Coursera that promises to unlock the secrets of the nervous system and its profound influence on our daily behaviors and interactions. Developed for learners seeking a deeper understanding of how our brains operate, this course provides a thorough exploration of functional human neuroanatomy, neuronal communication, and practical neuroscience applications to decode common societal issues. #### Course Content and Structure The course is organized into well-defined modules, each covering critical topics within the field of neurobiology. Here’s a closer look at the course syllabus: 1. **The Nervous System**: The journey begins with an overview of the nervous system, exploring fundamental concepts such as sensory perception and common neurological disorders. This module establishes a foundation for understanding how our brains function in the context of biological processes. 2. **Neural Communication + Embodied Emotion**: Delving into the mechanics of neuronal communication, students learn how neurons convey information through electrical signaling and neurotransmitters. The course also discusses the interplay between the nervous system and emotional experiences, emphasizing the role of the enteric nervous system. 3. **Neuroanatomy**: This module focuses on the brain’s structural organization and its significance in diagnosing neurological disorders. By exploring brain development, students gain insights into how various structures correlate to specific functions and symptoms. 4. **Perception and Vision**: Examining how our brains interpret stimuli, this module highlights the complexities of perception, discussing both accurate and distorted interpretations of our sensory experiences. 5. **Hearing**: The course emphasizes the importance of the auditory system in communication. Students follow the path of sound from the external environment to the brain, learning about the intricacies of the human ear. 6. **The Vestibular Sense & Gaze**: Often taken for granted, the vestibular system and eye movement control are explored in this module. Students learn about the mechanisms that help maintain balance and visual focus as we interact with the world. 7. **Voluntary Movements**: This section examines the organization of the motor system, detailing how voluntary movements are initiated and controlled, laying the groundwork for understanding more complex motor functions. 8. **Motor Modulation**: Building on the previous module, students explore how different brain regions such as the cerebellum and basal ganglia contribute to smooth and guided movements, as well as their roles in motor learning and neurological diseases. 9. **Homeostasis**: Homeostasis is crucial for maintaining internal body conditions. This module explains how the nervous system regulates vital elements like blood pressure and temperature, portraying the dynamic balance necessary for survival. 10. **Abstract Function**: The course concludes with an exploration of higher cognitive functions such as emotion, attention, memory, and language. This comprehensive wrap-up leaves students with a holistic understanding of neurobiology and its implications in everyday life. #### Learning Experience The course’s format is engaging, featuring a combination of lectures, readings, quizzes, and practical assignments that cater to various learning styles. The interactive nature of the content allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing understanding and retention. #### Recommendations I highly recommend “Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life” for anyone interested in neuroscience, psychology, or related fields. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply a curious learner, this course offers valuable insights into the complexities of the human brain and its impact on our behavior and health. The course is suitable for beginners, as it systematically breaks down complex concepts into easily digestible pieces without requiring prior knowledge of neurobiology. Given the relevance of neuroscience in addressing contemporary health issues and enhancing personal well-being, this course is a timely and enriching addition to your learning journey. ### Conclusion If you've ever wondered how your brain translates experiences into actions, emotions into behaviors, or how it maintains balance in a chaotic world, this course will undoubtedly satisfy that curiosity. Enroll today, and embark on a fascinating exploration of the neurobiology underpinning our everyday lives.

Syllabus

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

"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!"

You should now have an understanding of how muscles function to initiate movements. However, the brain requires more than just the cerebral cortex to determine what movements to perform and to make those movements smooth and guided. This module, we'll explore the cerebellum and the basal ganglia, fascinating structures that play a major role in movement. You'll also learn how these brain regions are involved in motor learning and disease.

Although our bodies are very robust and we can live in a range of environments, our brain requires very specific conditions to function properly. Homeostasis is the active process by which our nervous system regulates internal conditions, such as blood pressure and temperature. This module we will explore what homeostasis does, and how it functions in everyday life.

You've now learned an incredible amount about the way the brain functions to perceive and act upon the world we live in. You've gained an understanding of neurobiology on a cellular level, and how many diseases and disorders of the nervous system can affect our bodies and minds. In our final module, we will journey into the realms of emotion, attention, memory, and language. By the end of this module, you will have a greater understanding of the more abstract cognitive functions the brain.