Undergraduate Course: Mammalian Chronobiology (NEBM10016)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biomedical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Neuroscience (Biomedical Sciences) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Chronobiology is the study of biological timing (biological rhythms) in organisms. This course will address methods for the study and analysis of rhythmic phenomena in animals and in humans, with an emphasis on circadian rhythms (regular cycles of physiology, metabolism and behaviour, with a period of about 24 hours, which persist in the absence of environmental cues). Circadian rhythms are a fundamental property of almost all organisms, from bacteria to man. In mammals, the master clock driving circadian rhythms resides within the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the brain. In addition to their relevance to shift workers and long-distance travellers, there is overwhelming evidence that daily variations of human physiology (including heartbeat frequency, blood pressure, body temperature, renal activity, liver metabolism, and the secretion of many hormones), as well as the incidence and severity of many diseases, have an underlying circadian basis. Topics to be covered include: the principles underlying the function of biological clocks at the level of molecules, cells and whole organisms; the differences between the circadian clocks of humans, other mammals and invertebrates; clocks in peripheral organs and their importance in metabolism; seasonal rhythms and the relevance of circadian rhythms to human physiology and disease. The course will consist of introductory lectures covering different aspects of chronobiology, visits to laboratories in which rhythms are monitored in man and in other species and 'journal clubs' in which students are given a paper or selection of papers to present and these form the basis of a discussion. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Increased understanding of biological processes.
Detailed learning outcomes will be provided later. |
Assessment Information
| 100% In-Course Assessment. |
Special Arrangements
| Directors of Studies must contact the Programme Secretary or Programme Organiser for Honours Neuroscience before registering a student for this course. Priority is given to Honours Neuroscience students. |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | NEUROMammChron |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Richard Ribchester
Tel: (0131 6)50 3256
Email: rrr@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Tina Harvey
Tel: (0131 6)50 5059
Email: Tina.Harvey@ed.ac.uk |
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