http://www.foodmuseum.com/chilipep.htm

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS

Plants, the Brain and the Senses:

A Chemical Love Story

Fall 2010

Journeys of Discovery

NMSU  HONORS COLLEGE

Honors 115 M04-CRN 41868

 

 

 

Who is Fabian Garcia?

 
 
 
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Date

Week

Subject

 

 

23-Aug

1

Course Overview

Dissemination of syllabus and assignments

Course expectations

 

30-Aug

2

The Brain and Senses- Core Concepts

Readings

1.        PlBrSn Primer: Core Concepts http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=core_concepts

2.        Browse links:

Society for Neurosciences http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=scienceAdvocacy

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://nccam.nih.gov/

6-Sep

3

Labor Day/No Class

NO CLASS

13-Sep

4

Botany of Desire

Readings

1.        Ackerman NHoS: Chapters on Smell, Taste

2.        Browse link

Neuroscience Virtual Encyclopedia http://www.ndgo.net/sfn/nerve/

20-Sep

5

The Chemical Brain: Neurotransmitters, Ions, and Synapses

Research

Bioactive Molecule Exploration 1- Neurotransmitters (NT)

 

Bring your responses to the following research tasks to class. This assignment is for your Journal

 

NT : Research the following items for your assigned neurotransmitter. Cite your sources.

 

1.        Chemical structure (3D picture)

2.        Molecular formula (number and tupes of elements)

3.        Where in the brain/body is the neurotransmitter synthesized/produced?

4.        What is the neurotransmitter's main action (s)? What behaviors does the neurotransmitter modulate, if any?

5.        What are the neurotransmitter's molecular  targets ? (receptors/channels)

 

    NT assignments for students (last 4 digits of BANNER ID)

 

0160     Glycine

0335     Anandamide

2520     Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)

3410     Anandamide

3612     Glutamate (glutamic acid)

4204     Substance P

4567     Glutamate (glutamic acid)

4930     Acetylcholine

4950     Enkephaline

6901     Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)

7010     Gamma-aminobutyric acid

8039     Dopamine

8186     Endorphin

9425     Acetylcholine

9503     DopamineTBA

27-Sep

6

Secret Life of the Brain-to Think by Feeling

Research

Sensory exploration 1- Outdoors (you may supplement this assignment with photos that you can upload to the blog)

1.        List the names of three places outdoors where you feel a sense of peace and well-being.

2.        Describe the vegetation, name plants if you can

3.        Describe the smells, tastes, and touch elicited by the plants in this environment

4-Oct

7

Neuroscience of Smell and Taste

Research

Bioactive molecule Exploration 2-Taste

1.        What are the 5 basic tastes?

2.        Choose one of  the five basic tastes and give  an example of  a chemical that stimulates this basic taste

3.        What other sensations does the tongue detect  beside taste?

11-Oct

8

Plant Chemistry: Aromatics & Alkaloids

Readings

1.        Read the handout “Chemistry of Essential Oils”

Research

1.        Identify the functional groups on your neurotransmitter  using fig  3, p32 of the handout

2.        Table 6 Exercise: Essential Oils, you and chemistry

a.  Place an X next to all the plants  with whose fragrance you are familiar

b.  Circle those you like, underline those you dislike and place a question mark next to those that are neutral

3.        Are there any trends about your likes and dislike when you examine the components column?

18-Oct

9

Perfume

Research

 

Bioactive molecule Exploration 3-Smell (Include in Journal #2, not Journal #1)

1.        Who is Linda Buck and what did she do that has given her fame as a scientist??

2.        What is an odorant receptor? How many  odorant receptors are humans believed to have? How much of the human genome is dedicated to odorant receptors?

3.        What is molecular affinity? What is the relation between affinity, odorants, and their receptors?

4.        Olfaction, aka the sense of smell, triggers memory. What parts of the brain are involved in memory? What pathways take information about odorant bioactive molecules to these locations?

5.        What are your three most favorites aromas?  Least favorite?  What memories do you associate with these, if any?

 

100 pts JOURNAL DUE (you may print blog posts for assignments you posted on the class blog.

1.              Weekly comments for the following dates (7 entries)

Aug 23,  Aug 30,  Sept 13, Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11

2.              Explorations (3 entries)

Bioactive Molecule Exploration 1- Neurotransmitters (NT)

Sensory exploration 1- Outdoors

Bioactive molecule Exploration 2-Taste

 

25-Oct

10

Neuroscience of Smell and Pleasure

Bioactive molecule Exploration 3-Smell

1.        Who is Linda Buck and what did she do that has given her fame as a scientist??

2.        What is an odorant receptor? How many  odorant receptors are humans believed to have? How much of the human genome is dedicated to odorant receptors?

3.        What is molecular affinity? What is the relation between affinity, odorants, and their receptors?

4.        What are your three most favorites aromas?  Least favorite?  What memories do you associate with these, if any?

5.         Olfaction, aka the sense of smell, triggers memory. What parts of the brain are involved in memory? What pathways take information about odorant bioactive molecules to these locations?

1-Nov

11

Pain, Pleasure, & Plants

Research

A.   Sensory exploration 2- Home Inventory

Survey your home for odorants:

1.        What are the key scents you associate with your home and the different rooms in your home?

2.        What are the key scents in your favorite bath products, lotions etc?

3.        What are the key scents in your edibles eg favorite herb, fruit,vegetable smells?

4.        What is the difference between artificial and natural flavor?

5.        Check the label on three of your favorite foods or drinks.  Do they contain “flavors”? What kind of flavors are they? natural or artificial? herb, fruit or veggie based?

 

B.   Bioactive molecule Exploration 4: Pain/Pleasure

Research the following for your plant bioactive compound:

1.        Molecular formula (letters)

2.        Chemical structure (3D picture)

3.        What plant produces your compound? What is the plant’s full scientific name?  print a picture of the plant

4.        What is the main action of this plant bioactive? What behaviors does it modulate, if any?

5.        What are yorr plant bioactive compound’s molecular targets ? (receptors/channels) Does it mimic the action of a neurotransmitter? If so, which one?

2520,ephedrine

3410,tetrahydrocannabinol

3612,morphine

4204,psilocybin

4567, mescaline

4930,dimethyltryptamine

7010, salvinorin A

8039,heroin

8186,cocaine

9425,lysergic acid

9503,theobromine

0160,caffeine

0335, nicotine

8-Nov

12

Brain Reward Systems and Plant Bioactives

Reading: Drugs and the Brain

Read the content on this URL and the two that follow when you clik on next

Read the content posted on these URLs

  1. Drugs and the Brain http://drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.html 
  2. Addiction and Health http://drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/health.html 
  3. Treatment and Recovery  http://drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/treatment.html

15-Nov

13

Sensation, Perception and Reality

Indigenous knowledge: Ayahuasca, A Case Study

A.   Sensory exploration 3- Entopic hallucinations

Visit one or both of these websites and use them to answer the questions that follow.

http://psychedelic-information-theory.com/Entopic-Hallucination

http://www.oubliette.org.uk/Three.html

  1. What does “entopic” mean?
  2. What is a phosphene?
  3. What are common phosphene forms?
  4. What type of stimuli elicit phosphenes?
  5. When you create phosphenes, what do you see?

B.   Bioactive Molecule Exploration 5: Hallucinogens

Visit the following website to read about Ayahuasca, then answer the questions that follow:

http://www.biopark.org/ayahuasca.html

  1. What are the main plants used to brew Ayahuasca and what bioactive molecules do they contain?
  2. The psychoactive properties of Ayahuasca come from the interaction of two types of molecules.  Describe why the interaction between both of these molecules is necessary for the brew to be effective.
  3. The action of ayahuasca is conducted primarily through what type of neurotransmitter receptor? Why?

22-Nov

14

Thanksgiving/No Class

NO CLASS

29-Nov

15

BioDiversity/BioPiracy-CulturoDiversity/CulturoPiracy

TBA

100 pts JOURNAL DUE

6-Dec

16

EXAM WEEK CLASS: (Take Home Final)

3:30-5:30 pm

TBA

 

 

Earning your grade (500 pts):

 

In class attendance: (180 pts) Based on your class attendance and participation (15 pts/class).

Blog journal assignment: (200 pts) Students will be asked to prepare a journal comprised of brief blog entries commenting on class discussion and readings and exploration exercises that explore environments and molecules.    Details of the journal entries will be posted on the course web page..

              Portfolio due dates:  Oct 18 (100 pts) and  Nov 29 (100 pts)

Reflective Writings (50 pts)  Unannounced in class writing assignments (10 pts each)

Final Exam (70 pts). Take home assignment.