Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:List the unifying characteristics of eukaryotesDescribe what scientists know about the origins of eukaryotes based on the last common ancestorExplain endosymbiotic theory

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the structure of eukaryotic cellsCompare animal cells with plant cellsState the role of the plasma membraneSummarize the functions of the major cell organelles

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the cytoskeletonCompare the roles of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubulesCompare and contrast cilia and flagellaSummarize the differences among the components of prokaryotic cells, animal cells, and plant cells

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain the relevance of photosynthesis to other living thingsDescribe the main structures involved in photosynthesisIdentify the substrates and products of photosynthesisSummarize the process of photosynthesis

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain the relevance of photosynthesis to other living thingsDescribe the main structures involved in photosynthesisIdentify the substrates and products of photosynthesisSummarize the process of photosynthesis

In this lesson, the students look at the components of cells and their functions. The lesson focuses on the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Each part of the cell performs a specific function that is vital for the cell's survival. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that are very important to engineers. Engineers can use bacteria to break down toxic materials in a process called bioremediation, and they can also kill or disable harmful bacteria through disinfection.

In this seminar you will use images to differentiate the structure of a chloroplast and mitochondria. You will follow an animation to learn about the two essential processes that take place in each cell organelle to accurately determine the importance of structure and function. You will also analyze data from mice to determine the effects of exercise and performance enhancing drugs on the presence of mitochondria in a cell, or extract chlorophyll from various levels to examine its function outside a chloroplast.StandardsBIO.A.3.1.1 Describe the fundamental roles of plastids (e.g., chloroplasts) and mitochondria in energy transformations.BIO.A.3.2.1 Compare and contrast the basic transformation of energy during photosynthesis and cellular respiration.BIO.A.3.2.2 Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions

Through a teacher-led discussion, students realize that the food energy plants obtain comes from sunlight via the plant process of photosynthesis. They learn what photosynthesis is, at an age-appropriate level of detail and vocabulary, and then begin to question how we know that photosynthesis occurs, if we can't see it happening. Elodea is a common water plant that students can use to directly observe evidence of photosynthesis. When Elodea is placed in a glass beaker near a good light source, bubbles of oxygen will be released as products of photosynthesis. By counting the number of bubbles that rise to the surface in a five-minute period, students can compare the photosynthetic activity of Elodea in the presence of high and low light levels.

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.
Course Format

This course has been designed for independent study. It consists of four units, one for each topic. The units can be used individually or in combination. The materials for each unit include:

Lecture Videos by MIT faculty.
Learning activities, including Interactive Concept Quizzes, designed to reinforce main concepts from lectures.
Problem Sets you do on your own and check your answers against the Solutions when you’re done.
Problem Solving Video help sessions taught by experienced MIT Teaching Assistants.
Lists of important Terms and Definitions.
Suggested Topics and Links for further study.
Exams with Solution Keys.

Content Development

Eric Lander
Robert Weinberg
Tyler Jacks
Hazel Sive
Graham Walker
Sallie Chisholm
Dr. Michelle Mischke

This NetLogo model of leaf photosynthesis shows the macroscopic outcome of the reaction.

Kein anderer chemischer Vorgang ist für die Existenz des Lebens auf der Erde so wichtig wie die Photosynthese. Die Photosynthese wandelt Licht in chemische Energie um. Diese Mini Lecture zeigt die grundlegenden Abläufe in den Chloroplasten von Pflanzen auf - mit Auszügen von Vorträgen der Laureaten John Walker, Hartmut Michel und Steven Chu.

No other chemical process is as crucial for the existence of life as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy to chemical energy. This Mini Lecture deals with the basic processes taking place in the chloroplasts of plants with lecture snippets of John Walker, Hartmut Michel, and Steven Chu.