Neurochem in a Nutshell
Well, that’s just about impossible. I learned so much information this semester that it would be inconceivable to remember all of it. Many of the particular details and acronyms of important signaling molecules elude me as I look back on the semester, but that doesn’t mean the class didn’t teach me anything. I learned that phosphorylation is a process the brain and body rely heavily upon, that inhibitors can be great activators when stopping the action of other inhibitors, and that the brain is incredibly plastic and adaptable. I learned a ton of signaling pathways including cascades that release hormones, activate gene transcription, and alter metabolism. These are just a few of the lessons that come to mind and reflect the complexity of the brain. However, this is just the tip of how this class was useful
Information is Good – Applicability is Better
The real triumph of this capstone is the real life experience it gives in interpreting and explaining scientific studies. These blogs have been a great way to practice simplifying complex neurological phenomena without using a lot of inaccessible jargon, yet not losing the validity of the information in the process. It also gave me plenty of chances to find gaps in my own understanding and the opportunity to fill them. The class had an interesting and fairly novel way of filling the gaps in knowledge that I appreciate. By allowing the class to investigate the topics within articles that were confusing or lacking, it provided each of us a chance to learn far more through cooperation. Wednesdays, when each student would present his or her chosen topic of the week, were packed with useful information that added clarity and relevance to the articles.
Neurochem is Educational, Enjoyable and Other E words
Lastly, the class made neurochemistry fun and entertaining. I always felt like the discussion on Fridays always made the topics important to my life. They provided context to hypotheses and data that would otherwise likely be unexciting to me. The issues that were brought up each week revolved around controversy and current events that made even the most dry and dense of articles worthwhile. The time and energy I put into the course were more than repaid by the edification and expertise I got out. In summery, the class gave me three E’s that every college course should provide the students that take them: education, experience, and entertainment.
Neurochemisty at Concordia
