606-313 Molecular Evolution & The Origin of Life

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Biochemistry 521-211 and 521-212 (1996: 521-201); or Genetics 652-204 and 652-205 (1996: 652-201).

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Topics include:

• spontaneous origin of life and concept of chemical evolution;

• the RNA world;

• formation of protocells;

• origin of the genetic code;

• overview of bacterial diversity (Bacteria, Archea);

• similarities between Archea and eucaryotes; and

• origins of eucaryotic specialisations (mitochondria, chloroplasts, introns, linear chromosomes, mitosis, sex).

By the end of this subject students should:

• understand theories of how life arose and have an overview of the main cellular forms it has taken during the course of evolution;

• appreciate salient features of the several key metabolic processes, especially respiration and photosynthesis;

• know the principle differences between procaryotes and eucaryotes at the structural and molecular levels and understand how these differences might have arisen; and

• appreciate the significance of the eucaryotic condition in relation to evolution.

Assessment

A 3-hour written examination at the end of semester and two essays of up to 1500 words each.