2024 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Basic science and technology courses
Fundamental Life Science 1-1 K
- Academic unit or major
- Basic science and technology courses
- Instructor(s)
- Tomoyo Akashi / Ako Fujita / Masayuki Takahashi
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Fri
- Class
- K
- Course Code
- LAS.B101
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
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, metabolic functions, cell replication, and animal development.
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.
Course description and aims
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.
Keywords
biology, cell, DNA, development
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
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. The lecture will be provided in person.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction: Importance of Life Science | Understand the importance of Life Science and why we have to learn it |
| Class 2 | 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 3 | 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 4 | Structure of cell: structure of animal cells (organelles and their functions) | Understand the basic structures of animal cells and functions of organelles |
| Class 5 | Respiration and energy production | Understand the basis of respiration and energy production |
| Class 6 | Replication of cell: cell skeletons and cell division (meitosis and meiosis) | Understand the basis of cell skeletons and cell division |
| Class 7 | Animal development | Understand the basic process of animal early development |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
"Biology", C. Starr, C.A. Evers, L. Starr
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Course materials will be uploaded in T2SCHOLA and also handout will be provided.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Learning achievement is evaluated by short tests (Google form) in every classes and the final exam.
Related courses
- LAS.B102 ： Fundamental Life Science 1-2
- LAS.B103 ： Fundamental Life Science 2-1
- LAS.B104 ： Fundamental Life Science 2-2
- LAS.B105 ： Fundamental Life Science Laboratory
Prerequisites
The class level is adjusted to students who did not study biology in high school.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
takahashi.m.ay[at]m.titech.ac.jp (Prof. Masayuki Takahashi)
Office hours
Contact by e-mail.
Other
When you have a question about the class, send email to:
seimeikiso@bio.titech.ac.jp