7.016 | Fall 2018 | Undergraduate

Introductory Biology

Calendar

LEC # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Welcome; Introduction and course organization  
2 Chemical bonding and molecular interactions; Lipids and membranes  
3 Structures of amino acids, peptides and proteins  
4 Enzymes and metabolism  
5 Carbohydrates and glycoproteins Problem set 1 due
6 Nucleic acids  
7 Replication  
8 Transcription  
9 Chromatin remodeling and splicing  
10 Translation Problem set 2 due
11 Cells, the simplest functional units  
Exam 1 (Covering Lectures 1–10)
12 Genetics 1—Cell division and segregating genetic material  
13 Genetics 2—Rules of inheritance  
14 Genetics 3—Linkage, crossing over Problem set 3 due
15 Genetics 4—The power of model organisms in biological discovery  
16 Recombinant DNA, cloning, and editing  
17 Genomes and DNA sequencing  
18 SNPs and human genetics Problem set 4 due
Exam 2 (Covering Lectures 11–17)
19 Cell trafficking and protein localization  
20 Cell signaling 1—Overview  
21 Cell signaling 2—Examples  
22 Neurons, action potential, and optogenetics  
23 Cell cycle and checkpoints  
24 Stem cells, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis  
25 Cancer 1 Problem set 5 due
26 Cancer 2  
Exam 3 (Covering Lectures 18–25)
27 Visualizing life—Dyes and stains  
28 Visualizing life—Fluorescent proteins  
29 Cell imaging techniques  
30 Immunology 1—Diversity, specificity, and B cells  
31 Immunology 2—Memory, T cells, and autoimmunity News brief proposal due
32 Infectious disease, viruses, and bacteria  
33 Bacteria and antibiotic resistance  
34 Viruses and anti-viral resistance Problem set due
35 Reproductive cloning and embryonic stem cells  
36 “In the news”  
Final Exam (Covering Lectures 1–36)

Course Info

Departments
As Taught In
Fall 2018
Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets with Solutions
Exams with Solutions
Lecture Videos