HSEM2722H: Human Disease Influenced by Environmental Factors
3 CreditsHonorsTopics Course
This seminar aims at understanding whole organisms and cellular functions in response to various macro-environmental events, i.e. radiation, food carcinogens, global warming, pollution etc., that promote the disease process. Cells are consistently exposed to changing conditions, and they are programmed to effectively respond to diverse stimuli or insults under normal physiological condition. However, when such conditions exceed cell?s inner capacity, cells can undergo apoptosis, or become senescent or in some cases, they can acquire pathological properties, which lead to the progression of various human diseases. In particular, environmental changes such as climate change caused by human activities can significantly affect human health and ecosystems, and there are growing concerns about emerging new disease that is a threat to human health.