Department of Life Science
Introduction
A Systematic Approach to the Life Sciences
Almost every day the media reports new discoveries and achievements in the field of life sciences, one recent example being Shinya Yamanaka's Nobel Prize-winning discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). The high profile of life sciences reflects the dramatic advancements being made in this academic field. The Department of Life Science was started in April 2002 with the objective of unlocking the mysteries of life, from the level of genomes to that of the environment. It is the only department in KINDAI UNIVERSITY's Higashi-osaka campus where students can systematically study the life sciences. Education and research in this department spans four fields—genetics, functional molecular biology, cell/tissue biology, and environments and ethics—that cover an extensive range of life sciences including genomics, the environment, and bioethics.
Equipping Students with a Wide-Ranging Knowledge of Life Sciences
Students acquire a comprehensive understanding of life by examining its mechanisms and the environments that support it. They also learn how to put to practical use all the knowledge and basic skills they gain here. The department emphasizes study of the human body, with classes covering basic medical subjects such as anatomical physiology, neuroscience, pharmacodynamics, pathology, public health, and medical science. Students are required to take laboratory classes starting from their first year in order to develop the understanding and expertise required to conduct experiments in the life sciences. Support programs are provided for students who wish to be the authorized specialists like biotechnologist, food hygiene manager and so on.
Curriculum
Understanding Life, the Environment, and the Latest Biotech
With biology and chemistry as core subjects, the curriculum is designed with an emphasis on practical in-laboratory courses. Students learn the basics of the core subjects in their first year, and the broader basics of life sciences from the second year. Then, in the third year they study applications of life sciences, as well as engaging in an advanced study of the environment. In the fourth year of their studies, students harness the knowledge and skills they have acquired during the first three years to work on a graduate research project.
curriculum
| Specialized subjects | 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required subjects | Introduction to Life Sciences [2] Chemistry Laboratory [2] Experiments in Biology [3] |
Class Experiments in Physiology and Biochemistry [3] Environmental Science Laboratory [3] |
Laboratory in Molecular Biology [3] Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory [3] Seminar for Bachelor Thesis [1] |
Individual Study for Bachelor Thesis [8] |
| Elective subjects | Fundamentals of Chemistry for Life Sciences [2] Organic Chemistry [2] Biochemistry [2] |
Biochemistry in Metabolism [2] Bioorganic Chemistry [2] Molecular Biology [2] Instrumental Analysis [2] Introduction to Medicine [2] Anatomy and Physiology [2] Life Sciences English [2] Microbiology [2] Cell Biology [2] Applied Molecular Biology [2] Bioinorganic Chemistry [2] Environmental Analysis [2] Molecular Genetics [2] Exercises in Teaching [1] |
Biophysical Chemistry [2] Bioinformatics [2] Developmental Biology [2] Radiation Biology [2] Food Hygienics [2] Genome Analysis [2] Immunobiology [2] Neuroscience [2] Food Chemistry [2] Pharmacology [2] Public Health [2] Bioethics [2] Pathology [2] Biotechnology [2] Endocrinology [2] |
Nutritional Science [2] Special Lecture [2] |
| Biotechnology Practice [1] Exercises in Environmental Measurement Techniques [1] |
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| Free elective subjects | Information and Society [2] Information and Occupations [2] Introduction to Earth Science I [2] Introduction to Earth Science II [2] Experiments in Earth Science [1] Experiments in Physics [2] |
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- This curriculum is for the year 2014 and is subject to change for 2015.
- Figures in [ ] indicate the number of credits.