CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
Lab reports: the bane of every neurobiology major’s existence. Yet the most beautiful views come from the very tallest of peaks. These lab reports were a huge time investment as they were truly built from the ground up, but that is what made them so fulfilling. The lab report I have chosen is from the last lab of the first course in the neurobiology major, an electrophysiology course. The lab involved recording simultaneously from a nerve and muscle cell in a crayfish we dissected as a means to study synaptic transmission. It includes all of the major pieces of a scientific paper, which I learned how to write effectively throughout the quarter with concise writing and figures that tell the whole story.
Completing these lab reports using data I had gathered from single neurons was extremely fulfilling. I still remember the excitement of seeing action potentials appear on the computer screen for the very first time. It’s easy to take for granted something one reads about in a textbook, but actually seeing it happen in real life is mind-blowing. Having the opportunity to dive so deeply into neurobiology during these labs and being able to collect my own data from the ground up is made this course a place where we could truly learn. Moreover, the skills I learned from these lab reports and from Neurobiology 301 as a whole carried on into each of the following courses. The neurobiology major proved to be a comprehensive, connected education.
Completing these lab reports using data I had gathered from single neurons was extremely fulfilling. I still remember the excitement of seeing action potentials appear on the computer screen for the very first time. It’s easy to take for granted something one reads about in a textbook, but actually seeing it happen in real life is mind-blowing. Having the opportunity to dive so deeply into neurobiology during these labs and being able to collect my own data from the ground up is made this course a place where we could truly learn. Moreover, the skills I learned from these lab reports and from Neurobiology 301 as a whole carried on into each of the following courses. The neurobiology major proved to be a comprehensive, connected education.