BIOL 335
Chronobiology Spring 2021
Division III

Internal clocks control nearly all aspects of physiology and behavior and allow organisms to anticipate the dramatic environmental changes between day and night. In this course we will focus on the organization of internal clocks at the molecular, organ and physiological levels. We will explore how internal rhythms are synchronized with the environment and the means by which clocks drive physiological rhythms. Subsequently, we will investigate how endogenous clocks help organisms cope with rhythmic changes in our environment, and how disruption of our internal rhythms compromises health and wellbeing. Lectures and student presentations will alternate with discussions of primary literature. Laboratory sessions will explore the characteristics of the circadian system in mice and will require time outside the normal laboratory hours for independent projects.