OCW Scholar: Fundamentals of Biology

A teaching assistant explains the lac operon, using props to demonstrate how the lactose metabolism machinery works.

Professor Walker gives an overview of glycolysis, respiration, and fermentation, and how cells use the energy from these... Read more

Professor Walker explains the process of photosynthesis, its evolutionary significance, and the structure of chloroplast... Read more

Professor Walker discusses the chemical forces that are important for the structure and function of biomolecules, and ho... Read more

Professor Sive introduces macromolecules, and discusses the structures, properties, and functions of lipids and carbohyd... Read more

A teaching assistant goes over a practice problem on lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.

Professor Walker explains the categories of amino acids, the levels of protein structure, the bonds and forces in each l... Read more

Professor Lander explains methods of analyzing a gene of interest after it has been cloned.

A teaching assistant works through a practice problem on Complementation.

Professor Lander reviews the process of constructing a DNA library, and then discusses how to analyze and use the inform... Read more

A teaching assistant goes over a practice problem on covalent bonds, chirality, electronegativity, and hydrogen bonds.

A teaching assistant explains the numbering and labeling conventions of nucleic acids and proteins.

Professor Lander discusses variations in the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation among eukaryot... Read more

A teaching assistant explains the concept of complementation using knitting needles and yarn to demonstrate.

Professor Sive discusses the chemical reactions within a cell by explaining the rules underlying energy use, how enzymes... Read more