Brain, Hormones and Metabolism

During the course Brain Hormones and Metabolism different aspects of brain function with specific emphasis on the physiological aspects, will be discussed. The course is subdivided in 5 themes, namely morphology of the brain, the aging brain, mitochondrial basis of brain diseases, brain-muscle communication and brain-gut communication. Theme 1-3 are related to the (aging) brain, and are considered to be fundamental knowledge of the brain and brain-related conditions. Theme 4 and 5 focus on the role of the brain in the functioning of periferal organs (intestine and muscle). An important part of the course will involve a research project-oriented lab cycle. As part of this cycle, students will perform a research project linked to the themes of the course; the results of this research project will be presented and a report needs to be written.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• interpret and analyse how neurons in the brain communicate with each other and how these signals influence peripheral target organs and vise versa;
• explain the role of the AMPA and NMDA receptors in memory formation, and explain the molecular basis of memory-related illnesses;
• explain the role of mitochondria in neural cell function and how it relates to brain diseases;
• interpret and analyse how the brain controls skeletal muscle function, and how this is altered by fatigue and aging;
• analyse and integrate the effects of peripheral hunger and satiety signals to feeding circuits in the brain with specific emphasis on the hypothalamic neurons;
• explain the role of metabolism and its link to the gut-brain axis;
• setup an experiment to demonstrate the GDF15 response in cell lines in response to a trigger and interpret the results

Mandatory Knowledge:
ZSS06100 Laboratory Safety
Assumed Knowledge:
EZO10306 Human and Animal Biology I; HAP20306 Human and Animal Biology, part 2; HAP21806 Behavioural Endocrinology.