Physiological Regulation of Metabolism and Nutrient Sensing

Study of energy metabolism and processing of macronutrients like carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in mammals. Students gain tools and knowledge for synthesizing new information from advances in nutrition research to add to basic understanding of macronutrient metabolism. Use of clinical case studies to understand how human mutations in metabolic pathways lead to metabolic disorders. Discussion of diabetes, atherosclerosis, glycogen storage disease, inborn errors of metabolism, mitochondrial disorders, and lysosomal storage diseases. Study of how cells sense nutrients and adapt metabolism to unique needs of cells—for example, how cells respond to excess cholesterol. Discussion of mechanisms involved in import, export, and synthesis of nutrients. Use of primary literature to analyze primary research related to topics covered in lectures.

Letter grading.