| Course title | |||||
| 生物学基礎 [Basic Biology] | |||||
| Course category | technology speciality courses,ets. | Requirement | Credit | 2 | |
| Department | Year | 2～4 | Semester | 3rd | |
| Course type | 3rd | Course code | 022611 | ||
| Instructor(s) | |||||
| 横谷 明徳 [YOKOYA Akinari] | |||||
| Facility affiliation | Graduate School of Engineering | Office | Email address | ||
| Course description |
|
For students not major in biology, the series of lectures on Basic Biology is purposed to give a general view point of "WHAT IS THE LIFE?", which deals with the introduction to biology, the genetics, molecular biology, bio-energetics (respiration and photo-synthesis), and characteristics of biological behavior as a non-equilibrium open system. The series is constituted of five times of packed three classes for each of the above topics, which are given by Dr. Akinari Yokoya, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology. |
| Expected Learning |
| Biology is a fundamental and indispensable science for engineers and researchers in various fields. The aim of this series is that students in non-biological courses will become able to feel familiar with biology and to imagine the real biological systems by overviewing bio-science. |
| Course schedule |
|
1) What is life? This is an overview of the progress of biology to show how the natural history for animals proceeds to become a modern bio- and life-science. 2) Classical genetics: A forerunning of searching for the principle of life in a virtual world. For understanding the DNA/genome science, it is of great importance to grasp the early efforts of classical genetics that began with Mendelism. We learn how scientists tried to deal with genetic phenomena at the time when the true form of genes was not yet identified as DNA. 3) The daybreak of molecular biology: The significance of double strands of DNA. How has the progress of molecular biology to e.g., the genome projects of today been made? It has a close relation with the progress of quantum mechanics. We study the basic concepts and scopes of molecular biology at early days. We also study state-of-the-art bio-technology such as a cloning technique, genome editing, and live-cell imaging using specific fluorescent probes. 4) Respiration and photo-synthesis: Super-efficient bio-energetic systems of production and utilization of energies. Respiration is not simply breathing, but an extremely efficient energy transducing mechanism. It is important to recognize that photo-synthetic reaction in plants is actually reverse process of respiration. We learn how the biological evolution functionalized such a wonderful transducing mechanism. As a typical example, we look at the proton flow (current) intersecting the electric currents in protein complexes located in inner membranes of mitochondria, and discuss a possibility of intervening quantum process, such as "quantum coherence or entanglement". 5) From the genome-biology to the systems biology and the quantum life-science: A novel viewpoint of biological multi-reaction systems under the mutual feedback. With the completion of the genome projects, the bio- and life-science of today is searching for the new scope of progress. Among the new trends, the system biology is the matter of high concern. This is the way of understanding the biological reaction processes under the close network of mutual feedback. A network model of gene activation will be introduced. Application of quantum technologies, such as the synchrotron radiations and the diamond sensing technology, for the science of bio- and life-science will also be discussed. |
| Prerequisites |
| Not specified. However, not only seating to listen to the lecture, but also catching the items and messages presented are respected. Substantial participation to the class is highly welcomed. |
| Required Text(s) and Materials |
| Not specified. |
| References |
| Not specified. When necessary, appropriate references will be introduced in the classes. |
| Assessment/Grading |
| A paper of report on the subject presented at the last class should be made and submitted. This is the grading semester examination (70%). Your learning behavior of participation of discussions and questioning will also be evaluated (30%). |
| Message from instructor(s) |
|
Some people imagine that the significance of the life has already be known, so that artificial lives using cloning technologies combined with AI technologies are ready for real. However, I am sure that human wisdom to the life still remains at the surface into its significance of wonderful and elaborate mechanisms. The methods of pioneering works of forerunners in biology have increasingly been too subdivided in recent years, and we are missing the whole body nature. New trial understanding of the life as a dissipating but cooperative systems is on the way. I wish that you shall be the one to open the new horizon of paradigms in the bio- and life-science. |
| Course keywords |
| WHAT IS LIFE?, Genetics, Genomes, Respiration, Photo-synthesis, Molecular biology, Systems biology, Quantum life science. |
| Office hours |
| Time for question will be prepared in the classes. |
| Remarks 1 |
| Remarks 2 |
| Related URL |
| Lecture Language |
| Japanese |
| Language Subject |
| Last update |
| 7/17/2019 4:17:56 PM |