As with other fields of biology, recent advances in molecular biological technique allow manipulations of the nervous system at the molecular level in precise & specific ways. Also genetics has long been a valuable tool for analyzing complex biological systems & establishing the functional role of a protein. In the nervous system, genetics has played an important role in unraveling the molecular basis of neural function. Traditionally, the genetic approach has relied on naturally occurring or experimentally created mutation that affect a gene important for the biological system of interest. In the case of the nervous system, such mutations are often detected by their effect on some aspect of behavior. More recently, new techniques (genetic & transgenic approaches, functional expression of genes & mutagenesis) have been developed that allow targeted disruption of a particular gene.
