SUBJECT

Title

Neuronal Cell Differentiation I

Type of instruction

lecture

Level

master

Part of degree program
Credits

2

Recommended in

Semesters 1-4

Typically offered in

Autumn/Spring semester

Course description

1. The cellular composition of the central nervous tissue;

2. Principles of the neural tissue formation; Ontogenetic formation of the nervous system

3. Generation of neurons and glial cells; germinative zones, neural stem cells; progenitors and precursors; the forle of the Notch-DLS system

4. Activation of proneuronal and neural genes;

5. Cell migration in the developing neural tissue; Molecular bases of cell adhsion and cell motility

6. The formation of layered and core-like neural structures

7. Establishment of cellular polarity in developing neuronal precursors; process outgrowth

8. Process elongation; the axon growth cone, pathfinding of neurites

9. Process-elimination and maintenance: the sorting for persisting neurites

10. Synaptogenesis

11. Activity-dependent synapse and neurite selection; Giant depolarising waves in the developing neural tissue

12. Trophic factors, neural growth factors

13. The formation of glial cells – an overview

Readings
  • Scott F. Gilbert: Developmental Biology; Palgrave Macmillan, 2003

  • Bruce M. Carlson: Human Embryology and Developmental Biology, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2013, ISBN 9781455727940

  • Hand-outs of the lectures