Smell and Taste

Smell and Taste

Subject Area
Course Number
NRSC 4420 900
Course Code
NRSC4420900
Course Key
77301
Day(s)
Wednesday
Time
5:15pm-9:05pm
Instructor
LEWANDOWSKI, BRIAN C.
Primary Program
Secondary Program
Course Description
All organisms respond to chemicals in their environment. This chemosensation guides diverse behaviors such as a feeding, avoiding predators, sex, and social interactions. This course will provide a broad survey of our current understanding of taste and smell, focusing on insect and rodent model systems as well as studies in humans. The course will begin with a review of chemical signal transduction mechanisms, and build to an exploration of the cortical integration of chemical signals and chemical guided behaviors. Class time will emphasize primary literature, discussion, and student presentations. The goal is to reach an integrated understanding of the physiology and psychology of chemical sensory systems. In the process, students will learn to read and critically evaluate data from primary research articles.
Subject Area Vocab