Molecular Biology for the Auditory System OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Graduate Level Molecular Biology Course

Published Jan 14, 2009

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Discover how the inner ear functions and malfunctions in this free online OpenCourseWare from MIT. In 'Molecular Biology for the Auditory System,' students will review the physiology of the inner ear and explore topics on molecular biology, the mechanics of hearing and hearing loss. This graduate-level course is well suited to medical students and master's or doctoral students in Biology or Neuroscience.

Molecular Biology for the Auditory System: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes Yes

Molecular Biology for the Auditory System: Course Description

MIT's 'Molecular Biology for the Auditory System' offers a review on molecular biology, genetics and the physiology of the inner ear. Once the underlying concepts of the course are established, students will dive into a range of advanced topics in the field. Subjects covered by the course include hearing loss patterns and types of hearing loss that cannot be categorized by syndrome. In addition, students will learn about specific molecules that can cause auditory damage, such as connexins, myosins, transcription factors, extracellular matrix proteins and ion channels. The course also focuses closely on genes and proteins that are critical for inner ear function. Students will explore recent research in genetic deafness, which leads to 50-60% of severe hearing loss in childhood, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, www.nidcd.nih.gov. This lecture-based course was taught on the MIT campus by Professors Anne Skvorak Giersch, Stefan Heller, Doug Cotanche, Charlie Liberman, Heidi Rehm, Bill Sewell and Chen Zheng-Yi, as well as Dr. Marley Kenna.

Lecture notes, lab project information and a sample final exam are available for download on the course website. If you're interested in this free online course, visit the auditory system and molecular biology course page.

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