BSCI439D

Prerequisites: Students must have earned a C- or better in BSCI330. This course explores the complex interplay between hormones, behavior, and obesity, providing a comprehensive understanding of the physiological mechanisms that regulate body weight and metabolic homeostasis. Topics to be covered include: a survey of the array of redundant endocrine controls affecting appetite and food utilization andtheir pleiotropic effects; the general metabolic syndrome; insulin and leptin resistance; circadian rhythm and sleep dysfunction, clock genes and melatonin effects on insulin, diabetes and obesity; brown fat and thermogenesis; the biology underlying new diabetes and weight loss drugs; why bariatricsurgery is a surprisingly effective means of escaping the obesity trap. The course is a combination lecture/seminar format; students have the opportunity to investigate course-related topics of interest in primary source material and class discussions.