7.016 | Fall 2018 | Undergraduate

Introductory Biology

Course Description

7.016 Introductory Biology provides an introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Taught for the first time in Fall 2013, this course covers examples of the use of chemical biology and twenty-first-century molecular …

7.016 Introductory Biology provides an introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Taught for the first time in Fall 2013, this course covers examples of the use of chemical biology and twenty-first-century molecular genetics in understanding human health and therapeutic intervention.

The MIT Biology Department Introductory Biology courses 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.

Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets with Solutions
Exams with Solutions
Lecture Videos
Professor Imperiali standing in front of the chalkboard
MIT Professor Barbara Imperiali, lecturing on luminescence and fluorescence and their applications to biological research. This version of Introductory Biology highlights key developments in therapeutics, as well as tools for advancing research. (Image by Jason Player, MIT OpenCourseWare.)