Course Description
The course emphasizes how what we put into our gut influences the signals sent from the gut to the nervous, immune, and metabolic systems. This course will also cover how these signals become altered during metabolic disease such as obesity, and how these changes then impact the gut microbiome.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will submit a 10-12 page paper generated on
one of the topics covered in class. Paper topics must be
approved by instructor prior to writing.
Athena Title
We Are What We Eat
Undergraduate Prerequisite
BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1107 or permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of topics through active participation in discussion during and at the end of lectures.
Topical Outline
The functions of the different regions of the gut. Signaling between the gut and brain to control appetite and metabolic functions. The gut microbiome and how it is established. Alterations in your health alters the gut microbiome. Restoring the gut microbiome. Obesity alters gut function and structure. Parasitic worms in the gut: A good or bad thing? The hygiene hypothesis, gut function and health. The gut immune system. How our gut immune systems are trained not to attack our food.