Neurogenetics

Genetics is the study of how biological information encoded in our genes is transmitted between generations, how the information is preserved, how it mutates, and how it is translated; that is to say heredity. Neurobiology is the study of how neurons work, individually and within a network of other neurons. Advances in genetics have revolutionized our approach to studying biology at all levels of organization, and advances in neurobiology have opened the way to understanding the last frontier of human physiology: the brain. In this course we will examine how a genetics perspective can aid our understanding of complex neural systems. While we will encounter several cell biological approaches to studying neurons, the focus will be on genetic questions and methodologies of how neurons work to produce sensation and behavior. (BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145) 3 hrs. lect./disc.