Meeting Abstract
We have developed a capstone assignment for our BIO 443 Neurobiology class that gives students an opportunity to apply the information discussed in class in a creative, intuitive way. Volunteer groups present their project to the class for discussion and critique prior to the submission date. The assignment: Design an organism that has a nervous system comprised of only 12 neurons. The organism has to be able to survive in its environment, so it must be able to move toward food (must be capable of locomotory activity – it can not be sessile), obtain food, and move away from danger and/or defend itself. Sensory cells count as neurons, but obviously, muscles do not. Provide a complete “wiring diagram” of the brain and include a list of neurons and their special properties. In addition to neurons, you will have to describe musculature as well, but you do not have to pay attention to numbers of muscle cells. In addition to the organism, you must describe the environment in which it lives, and give a brief description of the organism (you can even give it a name). Your organism does not have to be like any known living form, and your design can be fairly outrageous, as long as it is functional. Also, you can not defy the laws of physics and chemistry. More importantly, you can not describe neurons that have properties outside of those that are currently known.
