Invertebrate Neuroscience

This background module in neurophysiology consists of three weeks of seminar and hands-on lab exercises on intracellular recordings from leech neurons, as well as computer simulations to study the basis of membrane potential and action potential generation. The seminar covers the following topics:
• Invertebrate neuronal systems in comparison to vertebrate systems
• Ion channels, membrane potential and action potential generation
• Introduction to electrophysiological methods
• Introduction to data analysis methods In the practical exercises, portfolio assignments will be performed on:
• Qualitative electrophysiological classification of different cell types in the leech nervous system
• Quantitative analysis (stimulus - response relationship) of at least one cell type
• Action potential generation: Comparison of simulation and experiment