# Biological Bases of Learning and Memory

In this micrograph of neurons grown in culture, the tan threads are nerve cells, and the round tan beads are synapses, the connections that form between nerve cells. Changes in these connections are believed to underlie learning and memory (Image from the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences).

### Instructor(s)

Dr. Lauren A. Makuch

Dr. Jaichandar Subramanian

### MIT Course Number

7.343

### As Taught In

Spring 2014

### Level

Undergraduate

###

Some Description
Instructor(s) | Prof.
As Taught In | Spring 2002
Course Number | 2.24
Level | Undergraduate/Graduate
Features | Lecture Notes, Student Work

## Course Description

## Course Features

- Assignments: presentations (no examples)
- Assignments: written (no examples)

## Course Description

How does the brain come to learn whether a stimulus is annoying, rewarding or neutral? How does remembering how to ride a bicycle differ from remembering scenes from a movie? In this course, students will explore the concept that learning and memory have a physical basis that can be observed as biochemical, physiological and/or morphological changes to neural tissue. Our goal will be to understand the strategies and techniques biologists use to search for the memory trace: the "holy grail" of modern neuroscience.

This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

## Related Content

## Course Collections

See related courses in the following collections:

### Find Courses by Topic

- Cognitive Science
- Biology > Cell Biology
- Biology > Genetics
- Biology > Molecular Biology
- Biology > Neurobiology
- Biology > Neuroscience

Lauren Makuch, and Jaichandar Subramanian. 7.343 Biological Bases of Learning and Memory. Spring 2014. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

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