M.Sc. OEP-Biology

Neuroethology - Neural basis of behaviour and sensory perception (OEP 17)

This module will introduce students to the general principles of neuroethology, i.e. the neural base of animal behaviour and animal sensory systems. Students will learn about different neuroethological model systems and gain knowledge about the generation of behaviour by the nervous system and about the principles of sensory coding by the sense organs and the brain. The module will develop student's appreciation for the application of modern electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, and behavioural techniques to decipher the physiological working principles of animal brains. In the practical sessions, students learn to independently design, conduct and analyse experiments using modern scientific techniques. By writing a protocol of their own experiments in the format of a scientific publication, students learn how scientific papers and posters are designed and how the rationale, methods, results, and conclusions are presented in scientific journals.
In the practical, each group of 2-3 students designs their own experiments according to the scientific 'problems' they have been given by the instructor to solve.

Grading

Report; oral presentation of results; written protocol

OEP1: Organismic Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity, Physiology