Lecture, three hours. Advanced course on the use of genetic analysis to identify the genes that control cell behavior and development. Formal discussion, by instructor, of genetics and the relationship between genotype and phenotype, followed by student-led discussion based on assigned readings. A biochemical, biophysical, and molecular view of cell biology. Topics include the biochemistry and biophysical properties of membranes, membrane proteins, and associated molecules, the extracellular matrix, biological signal transduction, and intracellular second messenger generation.
Lectures are from current research literature.
Development of animal eggs from fertilization until morphological specialization. Patterning is studied genetically, experimentally through regeneration, and theoretically. Morphogenesis is analyzed in terms of cell behavior. Attention to the role of extracellular matrices in both processes. Molecular aspects of the structure and function of neurons and glia including neurotransmission, synaptic modulation, and channels.