We will study the electrical and chemical signals underlying the generation of the nerve impulse and synaptic transmission. We will then explore neuronal circuits underlying learning and memory, movement, and sensory perception.

This course presents the science of biological form and its relation to adaptation, development, and the modes of evolutionary change. Emphases include primary theoretical literature, whole organisms, and the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology.

In this course, students learn to view and understand animal behavior within an evolutionary context. The mechanistic side of behavior is investigated and students explore how behavioral traits originate and evolve over time. Students will integrate their knowledge of how organisms work with an appreciation of why they work the way they do. At the end of the course, students will understand basic concepts in behavioral biology and know many of the experiments that have facilitated our understanding of this field.

This course is a rigorous introduction to the study of protein molecules and their role as catalysts in the cell. Topics include general principles of protein folding, protein structure-function correlation, enzyme kinetics and mechanism, carbohydrate and lipid biochemistry, and metabolic pathways (catabolic and anabolic) and their interaction and cross-regulation. Biological transformation of energy is considered in light of the principles of thermodynamics.

Examines the roles of cellular movement and cellular interaction in the development of multicellular organisms. Topics include cell recognition and adhesion during morphogenesis, the importance of extracellular matrices, and current theories of embryonic pattern formation. Self-designed laboratories include techniques such as microsurgery and time-lapse recording, using a wide variety of embryos and cell types.