Animals continuously gather sensory information from their surroundings to guide their actions. This course explores how sensory systems translate the physical features of the outside world into meaningful patterns of brain activity. We'll cover six sensory systems (vision, touch, hearing, taste, smell, and senses unique to other animals). For each system, we will examine the structure and function of sensory organs, how the brain processes sensory signals, and relevant behavioral studies in humans, other vertebrates, arthropods, and mollusks. Students will supplement textbook readings with material from popular science books on the senses: Sentient and An Immense World.
In the lab section of the course, students will conduct threshold and discrimination experiments for each of the (human) sensory systems. Students will learn to use the programming language R to organize, analyze, and visualize the data they collect, compiling lab reports for each experiment. In the second half of the semester, student groups will design and implement their own version of one of the previous experiments, adding in an additional variable (e.g. background music on sound discrimination). They will interpret their results, draw conclusions about underlying biological mechanisms, and present their findings to the class.
Crosslisted with NEUR 310