General Course Description
BIOL 40473: Vertebrate Endocrinology. Prerequisite: Biol 40403. Two hours of lecture and one laboratory period per week. The course will focus on the structure and function of hormone signaling systems in vertebrate organisms. Contemporary primary literature will be discussed and the laboratory will expose students to the experimental design and methods utilized in modern endocrinology research.
Detailed Course Desciption
The course will focus on the structure and function of the vertebrate endocrine system. Lectures encompass three major topic areas. The first topic area will focus on general principles of endocrinology including hormone synthesis and secretion, hormone receptors, endocrine feedback mechanisms and the basic molecular mechanisms of hormonal action. In the second topic area of the course, the hormonal regulation of growth, energy metabolism, reproduction and homeostasis will be presented using a “systems” rather than “hormone-by-hormone” approach. When relevant, endocrine disorders will be highlighted. The third topic area will focus on contemporary issues in endocrinology such as hormonal contraception, environmental endocrine disruption, sports “doping” and obesity. Students will draw upon concepts discussed in the first two topic areas of the course to critically evaluate peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, etc. related to these issues. The “hands-on” laboratory portion of the course is designed not only to reinforce the concepts presented in class, but to expose students to the experimental design and methods utilized in contemporary endocrine research. In addition, students will complete several writing assignments designed to introduce them to the format and rhetorical conventions of both informative and persuasive scientific writing.
Course Syllabus
A tentative course syllabus can be found here.
BIOL 40473: Vertebrate Endocrinology. Prerequisite: Biol 40403. Two hours of lecture and one laboratory period per week. The course will focus on the structure and function of hormone signaling systems in vertebrate organisms. Contemporary primary literature will be discussed and the laboratory will expose students to the experimental design and methods utilized in modern endocrinology research.
Detailed Course Desciption
The course will focus on the structure and function of the vertebrate endocrine system. Lectures encompass three major topic areas. The first topic area will focus on general principles of endocrinology including hormone synthesis and secretion, hormone receptors, endocrine feedback mechanisms and the basic molecular mechanisms of hormonal action. In the second topic area of the course, the hormonal regulation of growth, energy metabolism, reproduction and homeostasis will be presented using a “systems” rather than “hormone-by-hormone” approach. When relevant, endocrine disorders will be highlighted. The third topic area will focus on contemporary issues in endocrinology such as hormonal contraception, environmental endocrine disruption, sports “doping” and obesity. Students will draw upon concepts discussed in the first two topic areas of the course to critically evaluate peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, etc. related to these issues. The “hands-on” laboratory portion of the course is designed not only to reinforce the concepts presented in class, but to expose students to the experimental design and methods utilized in contemporary endocrine research. In addition, students will complete several writing assignments designed to introduce them to the format and rhetorical conventions of both informative and persuasive scientific writing.
Course Syllabus
A tentative course syllabus can be found here.