New laboratory exercises emphasizing electrophysiological methods are being integrated into an introductory psychobiology course and a senior seminar course in comparative/physiological psychology. The exercises in the introductory course start from a basic understanding of the recording equipment necessary to record data from the CNS. The next series records the development of electrical potential across a simulated biological membrane (dialysis tubing) vs real biological membranes (frog skin and muscle), simulates an axon and voltage clamp experiment, records the compound nerve potential of the frog nerve- muscle preparation, and ends with recording intracellular muscle potentials in the crayfish as a function of presynaptic excitation. The senior seminar builds upon the above experiences. Students map the motor cortex, record field potential from hippocampal tissue slices, and record multi-unit activity of the hippocampus as a function of classical conditioning. These studies significantly increase the qualitative level of instruction in psychobiology at the university. The university will contribute an amount equal to 115% of the award.
