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Biological Sciences
Description: Ecotoxicology is an interdisciplinary course spanning from molecular mechanisms of toxicity to atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants. Course topics include: the history of chemical contamination of the environment and associated cases of environmental injustice; categories and characteristics of major classes of contaminants; physiological processes involved in uptake, biotransformation, detoxification, elimination, and accumulation of contaminants; chemical and physical processes involved in environmental fate of contaminants; individual-level processes and outcomes such as dose-response, bioaccumulation and trophic transfer; molecular effects of contaminants and employing those effects in biomarkers; quality assurance/quality control principles and procedures; cytotoxicity and histopathology; interactions between genetics and contaminants in development of cancer; principles of endocrine disruption; the use of stable isotopes in environmental tracking of contaminants; sublethal, acute, and chronic lethal effects of contaminants; effects of contaminants on populations, communities and ecosystems; landscape to global effects of contaminants; and environmental and health risk assessments. This is a writing-intensive course, and as such, students will improve their technical writing skills. This is also a reading-intensive course, and students will learn to evaluate scientific papers in the context of theory and application. Letter grade only
Units: 3
No sections currently offered.
Prerequisite: Graduate Status
Biological Sciences
Term : Spring 2023
Catalog Year : 2022-2023
BIO 560 - Ecotoxicology
Description: Ecotoxicology is an interdisciplinary course spanning from molecular mechanisms of toxicity to atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants. Course topics include: the history of chemical contamination of the environment and associated cases of environmental injustice; categories and characteristics of major classes of contaminants; physiological processes involved in uptake, biotransformation, detoxification, elimination, and accumulation of contaminants; chemical and physical processes involved in environmental fate of contaminants; individual-level processes and outcomes such as dose-response, bioaccumulation and trophic transfer; molecular effects of contaminants and employing those effects in biomarkers; quality assurance/quality control principles and procedures; cytotoxicity and histopathology; interactions between genetics and contaminants in development of cancer; principles of endocrine disruption; the use of stable isotopes in environmental tracking of contaminants; sublethal, acute, and chronic lethal effects of contaminants; effects of contaminants on populations, communities and ecosystems; landscape to global effects of contaminants; and environmental and health risk assessments. This is a writing-intensive course, and as such, students will improve their technical writing skills. This is also a reading-intensive course, and students will learn to evaluate scientific papers in the context of theory and application. Letter grade only
Units: 3
No sections currently offered.
Prerequisite: Graduate Status