Course Identification
Evolution and biology of sex
Lecturers and Teaching Assistants
Dr. Yehuda Salzberg, Dr. Meital Oren-Suissa, Prof. Tali Kimchi, Dr. Gonen Nitzan
Course Schedule and Location
Second Semester
Wednesday, 14:15 - 16:00, FGS, Rm B
10/04/2024
Field of Study, Course Type and Credit Points
Life Sciences: Lecture; 2.00 points
Life Sciences (ExCLS Track): Elective; 2.00 points
Attendance and participation
Required in at least 80% of the lectures
Grade Breakdown (in %)
each assignment 15 % of final grade
Estimated Weekly Independent Workload (in hours)
Syllabus
Unit 1: Evolution of sex
- Introduction- why did sexual reproduction develop? What are the costs of sex?
- Genetics of Sex: sex chromosomes, parental inheritance and imprinting
- Sexual Selection
- Mating Systems and sexual conflict
Unit 2: Physiology of sex
- Sex Determination and Differentiation 1
- Sex Determination and Differentiation 2
- Gametogenesis
- Sex hormones
Unit 3: Sexual behavior
- Sex pheromones
- Brain and behavior – lessons from invertebrates
- Brain and behavior – lessons from vertebrates 1
- Brain and behavior – lessons from vertebrates 2
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course the participant will receive a comprehensive and integrated understanding of sexual reproduction from multiple perspectives: evolutionary, physiological, molecular and behavioral. The course will address questions such as the benefits of sexual reproduction, how is sexual identity determined and how it defines behavior in multiple organisms, what happens when the two sexes have conflicting evolutionary needs, how does nature ensure the successful formation of progeny, from the early production of gametes to the finding of a suitable mating partner.