BIOL 118 KS -Life in Extreme Environments

Institution: Pitzer/Scripps

Description: What are the extreme limits to life? Recent discoveries revealed that microorganisms are ubiquitous on Earth from the upper reaches of the atmosphere to the deep, hot subsurface. While the most familiar are found in our temperate surroundings, arguably the most fascinating microorganisms are found thriving under extreme physical and geochemical conditions where very little non-microbial life exists. In this course we will critically examine how these extremophiles adapted to survive, how their activities affect global nutrient cycles, and what their existence may tell us about the origin of life on Earth as well as the potential for life to exist elsewhere in the solar system. Finally, we will explore the impact their discovery has had on the fields of medicine and biotechnology, as well as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Prerequisites: BIOL043L KS & BIOL044L KS; or BIOL040L KS & BIOL044L KS; or BIOL042L KS & BIOL044L KS; and CHEM015L KS or CHEM042L KS or CHEM029L KS.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal . Please check course schedule for requirements.