Sensory Ecology. 3 credits

Catalog description

Receiving and interpreting information is critical for life on Earth. However, determining how organisms (including plants, microorganisms, or vertebrates) interpret sensory information and act on it is challenging. By necessity this field focuses on quantification to avoid imposing our own biases, and therefore sensory ecology differentiates from other fields by having a mechanistic, bottom-up, approach. In this course we will study the mechanics of sensory reception, sensory perception, and sensory processes that lead to decisions. Sensory information will be framed within a broader evolutionary context and how it is transmitted. Various sensory modalities and how organisms perceive and act on this information will be discussed. Offered by School of Systems Biology . May not be repeated for credit.