2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Graduate major in Earth-Life Science
Earth-Life Science A
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Earth-Life Science
- Instructor(s)
- Ryuhei Nakamura / Shawn Mcglynn / Naohiro Terasaka
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon (石川台７号館 (ELSI-1), 三島ホール, Mishima Hall) / 3-4 Thu (石川台７号館 (ELSI-1), 三島ホール, Mishima Hall)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ELS.C401
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Why do chemical reactions occur and what controls their rates? These questions will be discussed from the point of view of geochemistry, catalytic chemistry, thermodynamics, polymer chemistry and materials chemistry. In particular, the lecture will focus on fundamental reactions (synthesis of organic molecules from inorganic materials, polymer formation, etc.) that are essential for understanding the origin of life and directly related to global energy and environmental issues.
Course description and aims
By taking this course, students will acquire state-of-the-art knowledge on the origin of life (more specifically, chemical evolution). By studying the origin of life from multiple perspectives based on thermodinamics, reaction kinetics, electrochmneistry, and polymer chemistry, students will acquire the ability to extract the chemical strengths and weaknesses of each theory.
Keywords
Origin of life, reaction kinetics, electrochmneistry, and polymer chemistry
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Each of the five faculty members will give two or three lectures, which will include an overview of each field in the origin of life (chemical evolution) and an explanation of the latest topics in the field using PowerPoint presentations.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction and Equilibrium thermodynamics |
Explain equilibrium thermodynamics |
| Class 2 | Redox reaction |
Explain redox reaction |
| Class 3 | Chemical kinetics |
Explain kinetics of chemical reaction |
| Class 4 | Chemical reaction network |
Explain the characteristics of chemical reactions consisting of multiple elementary reactions. |
| Class 5 | Perspectives of Entropy |
Explain entropy and connect this to the second law of thermodynamics |
| Class 6 | Reaction Mechanisms |
Explain the mechanism of chemical reaction |
| Class 7 | Prebiotic chemistry (1) |
Study of the research history and recent advances in prebiotic chemistry |
| Class 8 | Prebiotic chemistry (2) |
Study of the research history and recent advances in prebiotic chemistry |
| Class 9 | Water chemistry |
Study on research trends on organic chemistry at meteorites |
| Class 10 | Prebiotic evolution of homochirality |
Study on research trends on RNA world |
| Class 11 | Biopolymer (peptide, DNA, RNA formation) |
Study of the functions of water molecules and their relation to the study of the origin of life. |
| Class 12 | Self-organization/phase separation/compartmentalization |
Study on research trends on protocell |
| Class 13 | Presentation 1 |
From the views of thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, electrochemistry, and polymer chemistry etc, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of origin-of-life theory. |
| Class 14 | Presentation 2 |
From the views of thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, electrochemistry, and polymer chemistry etc, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of origin-of-life theory. |
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)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
If necessary, materials will be distributed at the beginning of the lecture and explanations will be given using PowerPoint.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluation will be based on the submission of assignments and presentations.
Related courses
- ELS.C402 ： Earth-Life Science B
- ELS.C403 ： Earth-Life Science C
Prerequisites
There are no specific course requirements, but students should have a basic knowledge of chemistry.
Other
None