6.021J / 2.791J / 2.794J / 6.521J / BE.370J / BE.470J / HST.541J Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues, Fall 2002
Fick's first law of diffusion. (Image courtesy of MIT OCW.)
Highlights of this Course
6.021J is the header course for the department's "Bioelectrical Engineering" concentration. This course has virtually all of its course materials online, including
project assignments and
supporting documentation. The course materials are largely based on the textbook,
Cellular Biophysics, written by Professor Thomas F. Weiss (see the
publisher site for more information).
Course Description
This course is jointly offered through four departments, available to both undergraduates and graduates. This course introduces the principles of mass transport and electrical signal generation for biological membranes, cells, and tissues. Topics covered include: mass transport through membranes (diffusion, osmosis, chemically mediated, and active transport), electric properties of cells (ion transport), equilibrium, resting, and action potentials, kinetic and molecular properties of single voltage-gated ion channels. Laboratory and computer exercises illustrate the course concepts. Students engage in extensive written and oral communication exercises. This course is worth 4 Engineering Design Points.
Technical Requirements
MATLAB® software is required to run the .m files found on this course site.
MATLAB® is a trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.