Biology 356 - Molecular Mechanisms of Vertebrate Sex Determination

In this course, students explore the molecular mechanisms that drive the undifferentiated gonad to develop into either a testis or ovary. Science has a deep understanding of how these processes work in some species (e.g., mammals), but the molecular cascades in species with alternative methods of differentiation – including environmental or behavioral mediated sex determination mechanisms - remain elusive. This course investigates the molecular pathways across vertebrate lineages, emphasizing both compelling similarities and important differences. Students develop a deep understanding of the mechanisms and implications of various pathways of sex determination, which subsequently inform the work undertaken in the laboratory coupled to this course. Corequisite: BIO 357. Prerequisite: BIO 230 or BIO 232. (E)

[CE] BIO 230 or 232