Online Class: Biology 101
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30Lessons
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31Exams &
Assignments -
4,905Students
have taken this course -
35Hours
average time -
3.5CEUs
Course Description
Biology 101: A Deep Dive into the Wonders of Life
Immerse yourself in the captivating world of biology, the quintessential science of life. From the microscopic intricacies of a cell to the grandeur of ecological systems, Biology 101 offers a panoramic view of life's majestic tapestry.
Our course is more than just a compilation of facts; it's an odyssey that invites you to delve into the dynamic interplay of living organisms and their environment. As we chart the myriad wonders of plant and animal existence, we will also explore the fundamental principles that govern and connect all living beings.
Your Expedition Awaits: We've mapped out a comprehensive journey for you, composed of thirty enriching lessons:
- Setting the Scene: Introduction to Biology
- The Scientific Method: Your Trusty Compass
- Recognizing the Hallmarks of Life
- The Chemical Heartbeat: Role of Chemistry in Biology
- Delving into Chemistry Fundamentals
- Exploring Biochemistry and Allied Sciences
- Zooming In: Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells
- The Powerhouses: Energy Conversion in Cells
- The Genetic Blueprint: From Mendel's Laws to Modern Genetics
- Decoding Patterns of Inheritance ... and 20 more thoughtfully crafted modules, culminating in current ecological discussions.
Each lesson has been meticulously designed to cater to learners of all levels. Whether you're a college student looking for a comprehensive academic resource, a pre-college student aiming to get a head start, or an avid learner keen on understanding the world around you, this course promises an enlightening experience. The content is complemented by vivid diagrams, stimulating assignments, comprehensive review exams, and a plethora of additional resources to enhance your learning journey.
Our course doesn't merely inform – it engages. Critical thinking assignments challenge you to apply what you've learned, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject. The self-paced nature ensures you can progress at your comfort, making learning both flexible and enjoyable.
Biology 101 serves as both a standalone comprehensive guide to the biological world and a personalized tutor to assist in revisiting concepts. The beauty of life is in its details, its broad strokes, and the interconnectedness of it all. With Biology 101, you're not just learning about life; you're experiencing the very essence of it.
Embark on this exhilarating journey with us. Explore, discover, and marvel at the wonders of the living world. Biology 101 is more than a course; it's an adventure waiting to be embarked upon!
Course Motivation
By definition, biology is the science of life or living matter in all its many forms and phenomena. It takes a look at issues like the origins of life, growth and development, reproduction and structure.
Biology is further broken down into many different specialized fields, like microbiology, cellular biology, etc.
Its also served as the arena for a great deal of controversy and debate such as Darwinism vs. Intelligent Design and the like.
Unfortunately, the "science" of it has the potential to scare some people away. Admittedly, being such a huge branch of science, it has the potential to be intimidating. However, if you can break biology down to its basics, and use that as a solid foundation on which to build upon, you'll never have to cower in confusion again!
Enrollment's always open and the materials and lessons are available 24/7.
Biology 101 is an ideal course for college and pre-college students looking for a logical and easy to understand class in a self-paced learning environment. This course is additionally strengthened by integrating clear, well written text, a host of diagrams and pictures, critical thinking assignments and comprehensive lesson reviews and exams for each lesson.
Of course, high school and college students aren't the only people who stand to benefit from this course. Successful completion doesn't require any previous medical or scientific background. In fact, anyone over the age of 13 years is encouraged to enroll.
You'll begin with an introduction to the science of biology and progress through the related chemistry, studying cells, taking a look at the science of genetics and the principles of evolution, plant life, animal life and the delicate system of ecology.
Even better, you won't have to spend an arm and a leg on textbooks or other materials. This class was designed as a stand-alone platform which covers all the major concepts of biology. Everything that you'll need in order to succeed is provided for you immediately upon enrollment. So, not only will you save time in the self-paced environment, you'll also be able to save money as well.
Grades are awarded based on your performance on each of the lessons multiple choice and true or false quizzes (which are worth between 20 and 25 points each). A few lessons will also include a short assignment that is based on lesson facts and opinions that were expressed. You'll need to maintain an average grade of 70% throughout the class in order for successful course completion.
By the time the class is over, you'll have gained a solid and clear understanding of the very science of our existence. You will be well equipped to further your studies in other scientific arenas as well.
While traditional classroom settings demand that you wait for a new quarter or semester to enroll, those delays are moot here. Class enrollment is open and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there is no reason you can't act now to gain a competitive edge at school or in the workplace.
Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Introduction to the Study of Biology
Biology, the study of life in all its manifestations, initially focused mainly upon disease and its treatment.Lesson 2: Scientific Method
All through history, individuals have employed methodologies of science in their attempts to discover new facts about nature. It is generally accepted that science is based upon a productive kind of methodology called the scientific method.Lesson 3: Characteristics of Living Things
Life cannot be defined in such terms as weight, volume, or wavelength, nor can it be said that life is a liquid, solid, or gas. No doubt this baffling nature of life contributes in large measure to the fascination biology holds for many individuals.Lesson 4: The Role of Chemistry in Biology
One of the longest standing debates in biology is the question of whether proteins or nucleic acids came first in the evolution of the first forms of life.Lesson 5: Chemistry Basics
To start from the very beginning, the entire universe is made up of what are referred to as atoms.Lesson 6: Biochemistry and other Bio-Sciences
Biochemists focus solely on the chemical attributes of biology in trying to explain various biological phenomena, whereas biologists study biological systems more broadly.Lesson 7: Comparison of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Structures
The term prokaryote ("before nucleus") currently is used in reference to bacteria and a group of simple photosynthetic cells called blue-green algae. Cells of all other organisms contain nuclei and are termed eukaryotes ("true nucleus").Lesson 8: Energy Conversion in Eukaryotic Cells
Whether potential energy is made available for work by a reaction, or work is done to transform some other kind of energy into potential energy, some energy is always lost in the process.Lesson 9: Mendel's Laws and Modern Genetic Terminology
The observations of Gregor Mendel on heredity in the edible garden pea represent the first disciplined, analytical inquiry into the mechanism of inheritance.Lesson 10: Patterns of Inheritance
Mendel was the first to present evidence for the existence of genes as particulate or material entities.Lesson 11: Molecular Genetics
It was in 1884 that Eduard Strasburger, Oscar Hertwig, and Walter Flemming first developed the idea that genetic material was carried in what are called chromosomes.Lesson 12: How DNA and RNA Work
Transcription is the process by which RNA is created. As it has been previously stated, while DNA can self-replicate, RNA cannot.Lesson 13: Why Genes Matter to You
Your genetic sequence is entirely unique. There is no one else in the world, nor has there been anyone in the history of the world, with the exact genetic sequence you have in your DNA.Lesson 14: Introduction to the Study of the Origins of Life
There are many different theories about the origin of life, ranging from life originating from spontaneous generation to life beginning in deep sea thermal vents or bacterial life arising from different parts of the universe.Lesson 15: Fundamentals of Life Origins
The theory of spontaneous generation proposes that life originated from inanimate matter other than seeds, eggs or parents.Lesson 16: Other Considerations in the Search of Life
Scientists always look for water when they search for life on Earth and in space.Lesson 17: The Development of an Evolutionary Principle: A Selective Overview of the History
Aristotle first developed his natural philosophy, the precursor to science.Lesson 18: How Evolution Works
Darwin's concept of natural selection provided the framework for how evolution did not occur randomly.Lesson 19: Speciation
When evolutionary changes become so substantial that, by comparative anatomy, two groups of one species become too distinct to be placed in the same category, this results in speciation.Lesson 20: Accompanying Evolutionary Concepts
When a particular trait within an organism proves beneficial in the face of the pressures of natural selection, this is called adaptation.Lesson 21: Modern Evidence for Evolution and Common Ancestry
Gregor Mendel and the rise of the science of genetics was perhaps the greatest boost to evolutionary theorists, as the study of genetics provided an explanation of how evolution actually worked.Lesson 22: Why We're Here Today
Human beings evolved, just like every other organism on the planet, from ancestor organisms.Lesson 23: Dynamics of Population
When we talk about studying the dynamics of population, we're talking about quantifying the way population changes, both in the long and in the short term.Lesson 24: Human Population Dynamics
Because humans are far more unpredictable, it's more difficult to predict human population growth and decline than it is to predict animal or plant population growth or decline.Lesson 25: Ecosystem Structure
Studying the relationship between organisms and their abiotic environment helps us understand different kinds of adaptational processes.Lesson 26: The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems
When describing good webs, we must make some boundary to the system of interest, otherwise the entire planet will be united in a single web.Lesson 27: Major Ecosystems
This lesson explores the major ecosystems; marine, aquatic, estuarine, and terrestrial.Lesson 28: Biochemical Cycles
As energy flows through a food web, it is involved in chemical reactions at each trophic level, whereby atoms are combined, separated, and recombined.Lesson 29: Succession
If left alone, the fresh scar of bare earth left by a landslip will gather a mantle of green as grasses and herbs sprout.Lesson 30: Other Topics in Ecology
Mankind has introduced harmful elements into our ecological environment.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the study of biology.
- Define scientific method.
- Define characteristics of living things.
- Define the role of chemistry in biology.
- Describe chemistry basics.
- Summarize biochemistry and other bio-sciences.
- Recognize the comparison of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures.
- Describe energy conversion in eukaryotic cells.
- Define Mendel's Laws and modern genetic terminology.
- Describe patterns of inheritance.
- Describe molecular genetics how DNA and RNA work.
- Determine why genes matter to you.
- Summarize study of the origins of life.
- Describe other considerations in the search of life.
- Summarize the development of an evolutionary principle.
- Describe how evolution works.
- Define speciation.
- Describe dynamics of population.
- Identify human population dynamics.
- Describe ecosystem structure.
- Define major ecosystems.
- Summarize biochemical cycles and succession.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information
- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media
Student Testimonials
- "Instructor was great, and I learned a great deal on the course. I didn't have many issues with it, and overall I leaned a lot." -- Justine C.
- "A helpful instructor who provided a quick turnaround when grading assignments." -- Frieda F.