Astrobiology and the Origins of Life

• • 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

Equivalent subjects

You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• SWI-HET618 (Not currently available)

You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:

• SWI-AST80005-Exploring the Solar System
• SWI-HET602 (Not currently available)

• SWI-AST80004-Exploring Stars and the Milky Way
• SWI-HET603 (Not currently available)

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

This subject 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

• Online tests (20%)
• Newsgroups (30%)
• Project (50%)