At all biological levels (molecular, cellular, organismal, communal) communication between elements is essential for the proper functioning of systems. This course will deal with the process of communication at several levels. About half the semester will be spent on communication at the physiological and cellular levels (for example, the function of mammalian hormones, the role of nervous systems, developmental interactions). Where appropriate, we will deal also with failures in communication, as they relate to states of disease and with intentional disruptions of communication, as they relate to drug action. About a quarter of the semester will be spent on communication between animals and the remaining quarter on communication between molecules. At all levels, the course will emphasize experimental approaches to these questions (how we have come to know what we do).
COURSE FORMAT: Discussion Lecture
Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: NSM BIOL
Prerequisites: None
Last Updated on MAR-10-1997
Grey-headed albatrosses engage in courtship display
Lewin, Roger, THREAD OF LIFE: A SMITHSONIAN LOOKS AT EVOLUTION, Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Books, 1982
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459