Material Detail

The "Life System" is a component of the course series (TESY) developed by Columbia University and Barnard College, providing an integrated view of the biological component of the Earth system. It emphasizes the history of life, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, evolution, ecology, and physiology at the microbe to global scale. It also stresses the biotic systems, in contrast to the physical systems, as maintaining the non-equilibrium state of Earth's surface. The course is divided into three parts. Part 1 is entitled Entities, Cycles, and History; and covers the nature of individuals, species, evolution of the long-term carbon cycle, and the history of life. Part 2 is entitled Mechanisms of Evolution and Ecology, and covers the origin of species and diversity by natural selection, and interactions that shape the abundance, distribution, and conservation of organisms. Part 3 is entitled Physiology at Different Scales, and focuses on the flow of materials and energy within and between organisms and their environments, from microbes to the biosphere. The labs focus on Earth system elements, and are intended to be a very substantial part of the course in which students gain...

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Biology