Course title: Physiological Processes (3 credits)

Course details: There are a number of processes that are constantly happening in a cell and many of these fundamental physiological processes have fascinated scientists over the years but there is still much remain to be understood. Each topic that will be covered will have a history, our current understanding and some of the outstanding questions that we can (would like to) pursue. The techniques that were introduced and those that can be used will also be discussed.

Topics:

       Macromolecular complexes

1. Building gradients – the working of P-type ATPases
2. Energy generation – the architecture and working of ATP synthase
3. Muscle Contraction
4. Oxygen Evolving Centre

Cell to cell communication

5. Cell to cell communication – Formation of chemical synapses
6. Cell to cell communication – gap junctions
7. Cell signalling – Part I (Notch and Hh signalling)
8. Cell signalling – Part II (Wnt and TGF-beta signalling)

Sensory system

9. Visual transduction
10. Hearing: conversion of sound to electrical signal
11. Olfaction
12. Molecular basis of pain
13. Mechanotransduction in prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

       Homeostasis

14. Cholesterol – importance in physiology and disease
15. Proteostasis
16. Neurodegeneration- with background on memory

       Membrane Fusion

17. Vesicle Fusion – fusion of viral membranes with the host cell and cellular membranes
18. Fertilization

Membrane less systems

19. Biomolecular condensates  - Part I
20. Biomolecular condensates  - Part II

Reference books:

Principles of Neural science, 5^th edition, Kandel et al

Molecular Biology of the cell, Alberts et al

Most topics will have their individual set of references either as reviews or original papers