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 Neuroscience
 Neuroscience
is the study of how cells in the brain and nervous system develop and
function, both on an individual level and, even more importantly, as
integrated systems of cellular networks. The field of Neuroscience
covers everything from molecules, genes, and proteins to behavior. It
includes the study of brain development, sensation and perception,
learning and memory, movement, sleep, stress, aging, and neurological
and psychiatric disorders. Some neuroscientists study the whole organism
(behavior), others study specific kinds of cells in the brain, and yet
others use computers as their "model system." Some study "simple"
systems, such as fruit flies and tiny worms, because so much is known
about the genes that control their behavior, while other neuroscientists
are delving into the much more daunting study of humans. As with other
disciplines of biology, some neuroscientists are interested in basic
understanding of how the system works, while others are studying ways to
prevent or cure nervous-system based disorders. (Source: adapted from
Society for Neuroscience)
Related Associations:
 Association
of Neuroscience Departments and Programs
Society
for Neuroscience
Related Links:
Neuroscience
for Kids
Neuroscience
in the News
Nutrition
and Food Science
 Nutrition
is the study of all aspects of the relation of diet to health and
disease, especially in humans and animals of agricultural or zoological
importance. Such studies includes determining nutritional requirements
and how they change over the life cycle or during the course of disease,
nutritional risk factors for disease (either over- or under-supply),
eating disorders and weight management, dietary supplements, and special
considerations for sports. Food Science is concerned with all aspects of
food, including its nutritional content, additives and contaminants, and
packaging as well as the security of our food supply. Food scientists
study the physical, microbiological, and chemical content of food, as
well as the interaction of food components with each other, with air,
and with packaging materials, and the preservation of quality during
processing, transport, and storage. Both Nutrition and Food Science are
closely related to the fields of biochemistry, pharmacology, and
physiology. (Source: adapted from American
Society for Nutritional Sciences and from
Institute of Food Science and
Nutrition) See related field:
Nutritionist
Related Associations:
American
Society for Clinical Nutrition
American Society
for
Nutritional Sciences
Institute of Food Science and
Nutrition
Institute
of Food Science and Technology
Institute
of Food Technologists
International
Union of Food Science & Technology
Related Links:
Introduction
to the Food Industry
The
Science of Food
Pharmacology
 Pharmacology
is the study of chemicals (drugs) that affect the function of living
organisms, whether the chemical is intended to be therapeutic or is an
abused substance. Clinical pharmacologists study chemicals of medicinal
interest--how they are absorbed, transported, and metabolized in the
body, how they function therapeutically, how to change their chemical
structure so as to minimize unwanted side-effects. Some pharmacologists
purify substances derived from nature (for example, plant materials) in
search of new drugs, while others use knowledge of the molecular
mechanisms of disease to "design" therapeutic drugs that they synthesize
in the laboratory. Pharmacology can also be the study of the body's own
internal chemistry, for example, chemical messengers such as hormones
and transmitters, and how these are produced, packaged, and transported
in the body's normal functioning. Modern pharmacology also is closely
tied to biotechnology. (Source: adapted from
British Pharmacological
Society)
Related Associations:
American
Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
British
Pharmacological Society
Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America
Related Links:
PharmWeb
Physiology
 Physiology
is the study of how the body works, focusing on the function of cells
and tissues in organ systems and how they are coordinated for the entire
body, under normal circumstances and when exposed to stresses.
Physiologists study life processes from the molecule to the whole
organism. For animals, the systems studied include cardiovascular,
digestive, excretory, immune, musculoskeletal, nervous, and
reproductive, and how hormones coordinate the functions of all of these.
Physiologists ask how these systems work under normal conditions and
with disease or under stress. How do they keep us warm in cold
environments and cold in hot environments, how do we adjust to low
oxygen at high altitudes, how do our heart and lungs adapt to intense
exercise, and what happens to astronauts when weightless for extended
periods? Plant physiologists study comparable questions, focusing, for
example on photosynthesis and nutrient and water transport. (Source:
adapted from American Physiological Society)
Related Associations:
American
Physiological Society
American
Society of Exercise Physiologists
American
Society of Plant Biologists
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by
JGPerpich, LLC and the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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