HET618 - Astrobiology and the Origins of Life

Credit Points:

12.5

Duration & Workload:

One semester, equivalent to a 5 contact hour per week lecture course

Prerequisites:

HET602 and HET603 or equivalent, and introductory tertiary-level mathematics & physics (or equivalent).

Corequisites:

Nil

Aims:

The unit will provide an overview of the multi-disciplinary nature of astrobiology - combining geology, chemistry, biology and astronomy. It will investigate the origins and evolution of life on Earth, the interaction between life and its environment, and the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond.

Content:

This unit will cover:

  • An introduction to astrobiology and its multi-disciplinary nature
  • The early Earth and the rise of life
  • The co-evolution of life and its environments
  • Origin of the Solar System
  • Molecular biology, the tree of life, and the search for the last universal common ancestor
  • The synthesis of complex organic molecules on Earth and in space
  • The possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System
  • Extrasolar planets, habitability and the signatures of life

Teaching Method:

This unit will be presented in online delivery mode, with contact via newsgroup, e-mail and Internet links.

Assessment Method:

Assessable newsgroup contributions, assignments and project.

Textbook:
For information about the textbook, follow this link