1. Workshop MSU-Introduction to Neurobiology
During the bridge to neuroscience we learned about the human nervous system. The
nervous system is divided into two main systems: (1) the central nervous system (consisting of
the brain and spinal cord) (2) and the peripheral nervous system (consists of the autonomic and
somatic nervous systems). We learned several other things like: the different parts of the brain,
that neurons are the basic unit of the nervous system, and how these communicate through
synaptic transmission. For the workshop we had to several activities. We made a human
neuron; we conducted memory tests, and sensory tests (can you guess the flavor if your eyes
are closed). The most memorable activities were-at least for me- were the neuron wave
detection and the brain dissection. For the neuron wave detection we cut the leg off a
cockroach and connected it to a board pinning it down with pins that were electrically charged.
We connected the device to the iPad and we were able to see the wavelength projected by the
neurons. As we dissected the brain we identified its primary parts. These things we learned
during this workshop will be very useful to us if we ever find ourselves doing research on
neurological diseases or anything regarding the nervous system.