TEL. 03-3353-8111
〒162-8666 8-1, Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
In basic medical education, physiology is a required area of study that covers "how the body works (functions of the organism)". This is because knowledge of normal biological regulatory mechanisms is important for understanding diseases. The Department of Physiology (Molecular and Cellular Physiology) is primarily responsible for physiology at the molecular and cellular level, and conduct education in biological homeostasis, excitable cells and signal transduction. In physiological research, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms of life phenomena. As a result of progress in deciphering the genomes of many organisms including humans, we can now understand life phenomena in terms of the function of genes and their products, and many diseases have been discovered that can be explained by genomic variations. Our department is analyzing the molecular basis of behavior, vesicle-mediated substance transport, cell death, and cell differentiation mechanisms using the model organism C. elegans and cultured cell lines. We also hope to contribute to medicine and physiology through the development of technologies for gene function analysis and research on applied methods using RNA interference and other techniques. As one of our practical activities, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), we are working to promote reproducible life science research by providing biological genetic resources to laboratories around the world.
Courses taught in Segment 1 (first semester of first-year students) include "Body Fluids and Homeostasis" and "Basic Functions of Cells. Courses taught in Segment 2 (second semester of first-year students) include "Cells and Signal Transduction", "Biological Systems and Regulatory Mechanisms" and "Heredity and Genes”. We conduct lectures, practical training, and tutorials. This is the core field of functional medicine within basic medicine, and understanding homeostasis, signal transduction, and biological systems is a prerequisite for understanding the mechanisms of disease onset and treatment methods, and as a whole, is positioned as an introduction to medicine.
The course we conduct in Segment 5 (first semester of 3rd year) is "Digestive System I". We conduct lectures on the mechanism of functional regulation of the digestive system, including the movement of the digestive tract and the mechanism of digestion and absorption.
The subject we conduct in Segment 6 (second half of the third year) is "Cranial Nervous System I". Through practical training, we teach students how the senses work and how to record neural activity in the brain.
Physiological research has long been concerned with behavior and the mechanisms of substance opening release and uptake. Traditionally, these have been analyzed using cellular electrical recordings and other techniques. In the Department of Physiology (Molecular and Cellular Physiology), we are challenging such topics using genetically modified strains of a simple model organism, C. elegans. C. elegans is the first multicellular animal with a well-developed basic description and the first organism whose genome sequence was elucidated. By creating an exhaustive set of gene disruption strains and performing a detailed analysis of the gene disruption strains involved in the life phenomena of interest, we can clarify their functions. We then use cultured cell lines to verify that the same mechanism is used for homologous genes in humans.
Shohei Mitani
Sawako Yoshina
Yuji Suehiro
Graduate students are required to conduct experiments on a part of the research themes conducted in the classroom or on a life phenomenon of their own interest. We aim to support students understand everything from gene function analysis to the mechanisms of disease onset through the process of practicing how to handle experiments and data and how to complete the thesis. During your enrollment, you will learn a number of experimental methods, focusing on the techniques of gene handling which is necessary for genetic analyses. Furthermore, by acquiring the concept of understanding the relationships between genetic modification or genetic mutations and phenotypes, you can learn the relationships between normal function and disease as their disruption.
Physiology(Molecular and Cellular Physiology)HP
Research Achievements Database
〒162-8666
8-1, Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
TEL +81-3-3353-8111