2010-2011 Academic Catalog

May 03, 2024

2010-2011 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

BIOL 244 - Biological Clocks

Type of Course: Discussion, Lecture

Every organism living at the surface of the Earth is exposed to daily, rhythmic changes in the environment. In response, an innate and well-conserved pacemaker has evolved that allows us to fit our physiology and behavior to this cycle. The course will introduce the fundamentals of how these circadian clocks (and clocks working at other time-scales) work at the molecular level, where they reside, how they exert their effects, and the effects the clock has on the whole organism. We will examine clocks in model organisms, as well as those in humans, and the relevance of biological clocks to human welfare.

Prerequisites: BIOL 118 - Genetics, or BIOL 137 - Cell Biology, or permission of instructor.

Instructor: Mr. Thackeray

When Offered: Offered periodically.

Faculty: Justin Thackeray, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Biology