Introduction to Life Sciences
Check information on the French version of the description
—2025-2026 program—
2025-2026 - Semester 1
UNBIO1-035Introduction of Life Sciences
3 ECTS
Year and Semester : S1
Duration: from September 19th 2025 to January 23rd 2026
Hours: 2:30 pm– 16:30 pm (fridays)
Coordinator:
Keywords: Cell organization, cell components, membranes, cell cycle, DNA, transcription, translation, gene regulation, genetic engineering, molecular medicine, genomics, morphogenesis, development, immunity, biodiversity, evolution.
Course prerequisites: Scientific ‘baccalaureate’ strongly recommended.
The class is given in French.
Objectives and description of the course :
This introductory course is designed to enable non-biologists to acquire the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand the organization, functioning, and evolution of living organisms. This course is a prerequisite for most other Biology Department courses open to non-biologists.
General objectives:
– provide an in-depth understanding of the originality, unity and diversity of living organisms - provide essential information on the central machinery responsible for heredity, expression of genetic information and adaptation, as well as on its regulatory mechanisms and their possible dysfunc.ons
– provide an introduction to the key mechanisms involved in the origin and evolution of species
– illustrate, through selected examples, the methodologies used to build up this knowledge, and their limitations.
Topics covered::
Proteins and nucleic acids, cell organization, metabolism, membranes, cell signaling and communication, cell cycle, genome organization, heredity, from DNA to proteins, regulation of gene expression and molecular medicine, basics of genomics, principles of genetic engineering, development and morphogenesis, organizational plan of organisms, molecular mechanisms of immune responses in plants, biodiversity: concepts of individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, networks of interactions between populations, diversity of communities and ecosystem functioning, evolution.
Methods for studying and manipulating genes and genomes:
Basic methods: in vitro recombination, mapping, sequencing, etc., molecular cloning (principles, gene isolation strategies, manipulation of isolated genes), genetically modified
organisms: transgenesis, invalidation, mutation and gene replacement, ethical considerations.
Assessment Written exam including lecture questions and exercises
Course material: Life, The Science of Biology (Savada)
