Students may then choose to take additional courses that are more specifically geared to their interests and goals. The object of this course is to give students a firm basis for studying biological membranes.
Initial lectures focus on the organization of membranes and the structure of membrane proteins.
Subsequent topics include the biosynthesis and degradation of membrane proteins, membrane trafficking and the formation of specialized structures, such as gap junctions, in plasma membranes. The last part of the course emphasizes the membranes of excitable cells, with a series of lectures on neurotransmitter receptors, second messenger systems involved in cell signaling, transport mechanisms, and voltage-gated channels. Readings in the original literature are emphasized throughout. Through the semester, students present a series of mini-symposia on related topics. A term paper is also required.