9.15 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission, Fall 2001
Image of the neurotransmitter serotonin. (Courtesy of MIT's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.)
Highlights of this Course
This course has a comprehensive
reading list, and
assignments tailored for the undergraduate and graduate students who enroll in this class. The paper topics reflect the current issues as well as ongoing controversy in the fast-changing field of synaptic transmission.
Course Description
Considers the process of neurotransmission, especially chemicals used in the brain and elsewhere to carry signals from nerve terminals to the structures they innervate. Focuses on monoamine transmitters (acetylcholine; serotonin; dopamine and norepinephrine); also examines amino acid and peptide transmitters and neuromodulators like adenosine. Macromolecules that mediate neurotransmitter synthesis, release, inactivation, and receptor-mediated actions are discussed, as well as factors that regulate their activity and the second-messenger systems they control. An additional project is required for graduate credit.