ANA 517. Advanced Topics in Sensory Systems

Assoc. Professor Luebke

Prerequisites: ANA/NSC 512 or equivalent, ANA 531 or equivalent recommended.

Credit: two hours

This modular course focuses on how sights, tastes, sounds, and other sensory modalities are converted into electrical signals in a form that can be interpreted by the nervous system of invertebrates and mammals. We will discuss the major discoveries that have shown how sensory signals are detected by specialized receptors and organs. Each module will focus on transduction--the ion channels, G proteins, enzymes, and second messengers--that produce the responses of sensory cells, and ultimately afferent discharge. (spring)