Developmental Cell Biology is a course that covers a number of contemporary topics in Cell Biology from a developmental perspective. It is based in the primary literature and specifically emphasizes relevance to a variety of medical issues. As a course in 'development' the topics are presented from the viewpoint of the way cells carry out the decisions made during such processes as pattern formation and how cells organize themselves to effect these decisions in the first place. The course specifically illustrates the relevance of this subject matter to the human condition by making explicit connections between the basic science that lead us to understand the nature of cells and various medical conditions such as cardiomyopathy, hemolytic anemia and spina bifida. The course takes a non-traditional approach to its syllabus requiring student participation and utilizes a variety of evaluation methods.
Enrollment is limited in order to maximize interaction within the class.
Thus, this course is about the distribution and abundance of plants and animals in nature and the causes of these patterns. Consequently, ecology is a relatively new science lacking many of the firm answers will all desire. However, for those with a sincere interest in nature, studying ecology is a means of understanding some of the amazing complexity of life on earth. Finally, although humans are part of nature, this course is not about human ecology or environmental science, because these topics are covered in other courses. However, we will discuss some of the major impacts of humans on the biosphere, including the population explosion, the decline of biodiversity, and global climate change.