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Khan Academy: Biology
By Khan Academy
Online Course
Self-paced
Khan Academy is one of the leaders in free online education, with the majority of courses being taught by Salman Khan, the site’s founder. It offers a personalized learning resource for all ages delivering interactive courses via videos and practice exercises.
Dive in to learn more about the many branches of biology and why they are exciting and important. Covers topics seen in a high school or first-year college biology course.
Syllabus
Introduction to Biology - The Secret of Life
MIT via edX
Self-paced MOOC
Workload: 120 hours
An introductory level biology course hosted by professor Eric Lander, who was one of the leaders of the Human Genome Project. The course content reflects the topics taught in the MIT introductory biology courses and many biology courses across the world. As a student, you will first focus on the structure and function of macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins. You will discover how changes in the structure of some of these macromolecules alter their functions and what the implications of such changes have on human health. As you continue in the course, you will apply an understanding of heredity and information flow within cells to human health and disease and will learn about molecular biological techniques and their potential to impact our changing world. After you complete this course, you will have a foundation in biology that will allow you to understand the remarkable medical revolution going on today.
Each week features a series of lecture sequences that are supported by interactive video tutorials and interspersed exercises or problems. Students will work on a homework assignment or exam each week. The course will conclude with a comprehensive final exam. 7.00x – The Secret of Life will let you explore the mysteries of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology and genomics, and rational medicine.
What you'll learn
- How to describe the building blocks of life and how their interactions dictate structure and function in biology
- How to predict genotypes and phenotypes given genetics data
- How to explain the central dogma of molecular biology and convert DNA sequence to RNA sequence to protein sequence
- How to use molecular tools to study biology
- How to describe the principles of early sequencing as well as modern sequencing and the effects of these technologies on the filed of genomics
- How to apply the principles of modern biology to issues in today's society
MIT 7.01SC Fundamentals of Biology
By MIT via YouTube
Open Courseware
Self-paced
Fundamentals of Biology focuses on the basic principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and recombinant DNA. These principles are necessary to understanding the basic mechanisms of life and anchor the biological knowledge that is required to understand many of the challenges in everyday life, from human health and disease to loss of biodiversity and environmental quality.
BIO101: Introduction to Molecular and Cellular
Biology
By Saylor.org
Open Courseware
Self-paced
This course is intended for the student interested in understanding and appreciating common biological topics in the study of the smallest units within biology: molecules and cells.
Molecular and cellular biology is a dynamic field. There are thousands of opportunities within the medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial fields (just to name a few) for a person with a concentrated knowledge of molecular and cellular processes. This course will give you a general introduction of these topics. In addition to preparing for a diversity of career paths, an understanding of molecular and cell biology will help you make sound decisions in your everyday life that can positively impact your diet and health.
Syllabus
- Unit 1: Introduction to Biology
- Unit 2: Basic Chemistry
- Unit 3: Biological Molecules
- Unit 4: Cells and Cell Membranes
- Unit 5: Enzymes, Metabolism, Cellular Respiration
- Unit 6: Photosynthesis
- Unit 7: Cellular Reproduction: Mitosis
- Unit 8: Cellular Reproduction: Meiosis
- Unit 9: Mendelian Genetics & Chromosomes
- Unit 10: Gene Expression
- Optional Course Evaluation Survey
- Final Exam
BIO310: Developmental Biology
Saylor.org
Open Courseware
Self-paced
Developmental biology asks questions about how organisms come into being, how life forms, and how complex structures develop and are differentiated. These fundamental questions have been the subject of research for centuries; accordingly, this course you will teach you not only about the beginnings of organisms, but about the beginnings of developmental biology as a science. Currently, developmental biologists use a range of tools and research foci—from molecular techniques to surgical manipulations to chemical and environmental studies—to answer these questions. Their approaches are multi-faceted because developmental biology itself addresses topics of importance to a wide range of fields, from molecular biology to neuroscience to evolutionary biology. In this course, you will learn about the field of developmental biology from its origins to the present day. We will take a look at historical experiments as well as modern techniques and the mechanisms of development. You will follow a variety of metazoan organisms from their start at fertilization through the stages of their development and on to entire organismal and post-embryonic development, learning along the way about the molecular and genetic regulations involved in these processes.
Syllabus
- Unit 1: Beginnings
- Unit 2: Genes and Development
- Unit 3: Cleavage
- Unit 4: Gastrulation
- Unit 5: Axis Formation
- Unit 6: Later Embryonic Development
- Unit 7: Very Late - And Post Embryonic Development
- Unit 8: "Evo-Devo": Evolutionary and Developmental Biology
- Unit 9: “Eco-Devo”: Environmental Influences on Development
- Final Exam, Answers
BIO306: Botany
Saylor.org
Open Courseware
Self-paced
Workload: 83.5 hours
This course is composed of a wide range of different free, online materials.
Botany is the study of plants. Because species in the plant kingdom have characteristics that make them distinct from any other form of life, they are particularly interesting subjects for the study of evolution and physiology. For example, whereas most organisms are dependent on other organisms for energy, plants can capture energy directly from photons of light and convert it into a usable form through the process of photosynthesis. For this reason, plants are referred to as the “producers” in a habitat. Unlike the cells of other organisms, plant cells have rigid cell walls constructed from the inside out (rather than the outside in) during mitosis and cytokinesis. Plants also have a variety of unique reproductive and dispersal mechanisms that allow them to quickly adapt to, occupy, and invade far-flung areas, despite their general immobility. In this course, you will learn the basics of plant biology. We will begin with plant anatomy, learning the names and functions of all of the parts of a plant. We will then move on to plant physiology, where you will learn about photosynthesis, growth, and reproduction. Next, we will study plant evolution according to the fossil record and will take a general look at the diversity of plant life in existence today. Finally, we will discuss the ways in which plants fit into the global ecology, highlighting their importance in any habitat.
Syllabus
BIO102: Introduction to Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
Saylor.org
Open Courseware
Self-paced
This course is comprised of a range of different free online materials.
In this course, you will learn about biological changes that happen on a very large scale, across entire populations of organisms and over the course of millions of years, in the form of evolution and ecology. Evolution, the process by which different species of organisms have developed and diversified from their evolutionary forbears, has been a central theme in the field of biology ever since Darwin first published his theories about it. Mounting evidence from many different branches of science all point to the fact that species have experienced a gradual but definite physical change. In this course, we will learn about evolution and theories that stem from evolution. We will also learn about ecology, the study of the interactions between different types of organisms and their surroundings. Changes in surroundings will force organisms to adapt and change—often in terms of the way in which they interact with one another. An ecosystem, or a biological community that contains both an environment and all of its inhabitants, can be quite large and can contain hundreds or even thousands of species. Evolution and ecology have together shaped our understanding of how life has changed over time on Earth, across billions of years of its history. It explains why giraffes have long necks and why hummingbirds have long beaks. It also explains why all land vertebrates share common skeletal features!
Syllabus
BIO302: Human Anatomy
By Saylor.org
Open Courseware
Self-paced
Workload: 116 hours
This course comprises a range of different free, online materials.
This course will provide you with an overview of the body from a systemic perspective. Each unit will focus on one system, or network of organs that work together to perform a particular function. At the end of this course, we will review the body from an integrative perspective, creating a more realistic vision of the ways in which the systems overlap. We will also discuss current body imaging techniques and learn how to correctly interpret the images in order to put our newly-gained anatomical knowledge to practical use. This is a terminology-heavy course. We will identify tissues and organ systems according to their functional and regional contexts.
Syllabus
- Unit 1: Introduction to Anatomy
- Unit 2: Integumentary System
- Unit 3: Skeletal System
- Unit 4: Muscular System
- Unit 5: Nervous System
- Unit 6: Cardiovascular System
- Unit 7: Lymphatic System
- Unit 8: Respiratory System
- Unit 9: Digestive System
- Unit 10: Urinary System
- Unit 11: The Endocrine System
- Unit 12: The Reproductive System
- Final Exam, Answers
Biology 1A, 001 - Spring 2015
By The University of California, Berkeley via YouTube
Open Courseware
Video & Audio Podcasts
Self-paced
General introduction to cell structure and function, molecular and organismal genetics, animal development, form and function.
Biology 1B, 001 - Spring 2015
By The University of California, Berkeley via YouTube
Open Courseware
Video & Audio Podcasts
Self-paced
General introduction to plant development, form, and function; population genetics, ecology, and evolution. Intended for students majoring in the biological sciences, but open to all qualified students.