Help   |   Contact Us

 

Readings

Reading assignments include scientific articles, online resources, class handouts, and sections from the required text. Assignments for this course also used to include several readings from the MIT Biology Hypertextbook, but these have been removed as that site is no longer active. At this time there are no plans to re-present the materials.

Amazon logo Purves, Orians, Heller, and Sadava. Life: The Science of Biology. 7th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates; Gordonsville, VA: W.H. Freeman and Co., 2003. ISBN: 9780716798569.

LEC # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction Purves, et al. Chapter 1, p. 526.
2 Introduction (cont.) Purves, et al. Chapter 4, pp. 169-171.
Foundations
3 Biochemistry 1 Purves, et al. Chapter 2.
4 Biochemistry 2 Purves, et al. Chapters 3, 6.
5 Biochemistry 3  
6 Genetics 1 Purves, et al. pp. 164-167, 171-184.
7 Genetics 2 Purves, et al. Chapter 10.
8 Genetics 3  
9 Genetics 4  
10 Molecular Biology 1 Purves, et al. Chapter 11.
11 Molecular Biology 2 Purves, et al. Chapter 12.
12 Molecular Biology 3 Purves, et al. pp. 285-299.
How To - 1
13 Recombinant DNA 1 Purves, et al. Chapter 16.
14 Recombinant DNA 2  
  Quiz 1  
15 Recombinant DNA 3 Purves, et al. pp. 339-350, 357-361.
16 Cell Biology 1 Purves, et al. pp. 247-250.
17 Cell Biology 2 Purves, et al. Chapter 15, pp. 800-801, 815-818.
18 Cell Biology 3 Purves, et al. pp. 167-169, 184, and 401.
Formation
19 Steps in Development Purves, et al. pp. 390-393.
20 Fertilization/Fertility Purves, et al. Chapter 43, p. 348.
21 Cell Type and Position Purves, et al. Chapter 20, pp. 903-907.
22 Morphogenesis  
  Quiz 2  
How To - 2
23 Stem Cells Purves, et al. pp. 396-397, 441.
24 Cloning Purves, et al. pp. 393-396.
Systems - 1
25 Nervous System 1 Purves, et al. Chapter 44.
26 Nervous System 2  
27 Nervous System 3  
Problems - 1
28 Cancer 1 Purves, et al. pp. 350-355.

Weinberg, R. A. "How Cancer Arises." Sci Am 275, no. 3 (September 1996): 62-70.

———. "Finding the Anti-oncogene." Sci Am 259, no. 3 (September 1998): 44-5.
29 Cancer 2  
30 Cancer 3 Purves, et al. pp. 355-357.

NCI Gleevec Article
  Quiz 3  
Systems - 2
31 Immunology 1 Purves, et al. Chapter 18.
32 Immunology 2  
Problems - 2
33 Virology 1 Purves, et al. pp. 257-263.

Viruses (PDF)

AIDS (PDF)
34 Virology 2  
35 Prion Disease Purves, et al. p. 343.
36 Future of Biology