Learn how the nervous system produces behavior, how we use our brain every day, and how neuroscience can explain the common problems afflicting people today. We will study functional human neuroanatomy and neuronal communication, and then use this information to understand how we perceive the outside world, move our bodies voluntarily, stay alive, and play well with others.
Offered By
Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life
The University of ChicagoAbout this Course
Skills you will gain
- Brain
- Neurological Disorders
- Neurobiology
- Neurology
Offered by

The University of Chicago
One of the world's premier academic and research institutions, the University of Chicago has driven new ways of thinking since our 1890 founding. Today, UChicago is an intellectual destination that draws inspired scholars to our Hyde Park and international campuses, keeping UChicago at the nexus of ideas that challenge and change the world.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
The Nervous System
Neurobiology is a rapidly growing area of scientific research, and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the news and popular culture. In this course, we will study of the nervous system from a biological perspective by exploring the fundamental concepts in neurobiology, including how we sense the world, how we act in the world, and common neurological disorders.
Neural Communication + Embodied Emotion
Neurons are the cells of the nervous system responsible for communicating, relaying, and integrating information. Neurons "talk" to other neurons through a special type of language that involves electrical signaling within individual neurons, and the use of chemical compounds known as neurotransmitters to communicate between neurons. In this module, you will learn more about how a neuron functions at rest, how information is relayed within a neuron, and how neurons relay information to other neurons or target tissues.
Neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy tells us how the nervous system is organized. Understanding the form of the brain is essential to understanding its function. By comparing the structure of the brain with a patient's symptoms, neurologists are able to identify the location of certain disorders. Studying how the human brain develops provides insight to why it is organized as it is. This module, you will learn about how the brain develops during gestation, some major pathways in the nervous system, and what can go wrong!
Perception and Vision
Perception is how the brain interprets incoming stimuli. Not all stimuli that can be sensed are perceivable, and sometimes those that can be perceived play tricks on us. The systematic ways that stimuli are interpreted (or misinterpreted) show how well the brain can understand our surroundings, sometimes with limited information. This module we will explore perception and vision.This module contains a lot of material, so be sure to start early so that you have time to finish!
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TOP REVIEWS FROM UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN: THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Peggy Mason is Awesome! Thank you for your generosity, passion and dedication to helping others understand the brain. I found the course extremely interesting, helpful and valuable!
Professor Mason's passion for her field is evident and she makes a complex subject accessible to people like me with zero knowledge of the subject. Thoroughly enjoyed the course, thank you.
I benefited greatly from this course. I felt that Professor Mason was part of my family. It's great and her explanation is excellent. Thank you from the bottom of my heart professor mason.
This is a must-take course to learn about the self and the world around us as it relates to neurobiology. Professor Peggy Mason rocks. Very glad I opted for this class, learned so much!
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