This course gives fundamentals of diverse fields of life science and introduction of current topics. The classes cover fundamentals of structure of nucleic acids and proteins, architecture of genes and genomes, central dogma (gene expression), cell structures, DNA replication, and animal development, as well as current topics such as stem cells and cancer therapies.
This course aims to provide fundamental knowledge on life sciences as the basis not only for advanced life sciences but also for broad fields in science and technology.
By the end of this course, students will understand the fundamentals of life sciences, which shall be the basis for broad fields in advanced science and technology. In addition, the students will more deeply understand current topics related to life sciences.
biology, cell, DNA, cancer, stem cell
✔ Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Students will learn the topics with a textbook, PowerPoint slides, and handouts. Students are divided into eight classes (in Japanese) and one class (in English). A class session for each of them takes place once per week.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Central dogma I: Structures of DNA and RNA, strucure of chromosomes and genes, process of DNA replication, transcription, and RNA splicing | Understand the structure of nucleic acids, basic processes of DNA replication, transcription, and maturation of messenger RNA |
Class 2 | Central dogma II: Structures of amino acids and proteins, and translation mechanism | Understand the structures of amino acids and proteins, and basic mechanism of translation |
Class 3 | Structure of cell: structure of animal cells (organelles and their functions) | Understand the basic structures of animal cells and functions of organelles |
Class 4 | Replication of cell: cell skeletons and cell division (meitosis and meiosis) | Understand the basis of cell skertons and cell division |
Class 5 | What is cancer?: Cancer cell, metastasis, therapy, and cell cycle | Understand the basis of cancer research and cell cycle |
Class 6 | Animal development and stem cell I: Early stages of animal development | Understand the basic process of animal early development |
Class 7 | Animal development and stem cell II: Animal morphogenesis and stem cell | Understand the basic process of animal morphogenesis and what stem cell is |
Class 8 | Integral study | Unify the knowledge learned in Classes 1 to 7 |
"Biology", C. Starr, C.A. Evers, L. Starr
Course materials will be provided
Learning achievement is evaluated by short tests in every classed and a final exam.
The class level is adjusted to students who did not study biology in high school.
yhongo[at]bio.titech.ac.jp (Prof. Yuichi Hongoh)
Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment. Instructor’s office: West Bldg.3, Rm 706, 7 Fl.
A tutoring room for this class is opened 16:30-18:30 on every Tuesday and Wednesday in below places:
Tue; room 605 in W3
Wed: group laboratory room 3 at 3F of the library