Introduction to Biology

This introductory course defines biology and its relationship to other sciences. We examine the overarching theories of life from biological research and also explore the fundamental concepts and principles of the study of living organisms and their interaction with the environment. We will examine how life is organized into hierarchical levels; how living organisms use and produce energy; how life grows, develops, and reproduces; how life responds to the environment to maintain internal stability; and how life evolves and adapts to the environment.

This course is a part of our Community College (CC-OLI) series. Courses in this series are particularly well-suited to the needs of introductory community college courses, but are open for use by any instructor or student.

Additional Course Details
Topics Covered: Recurrent Themes in Biology; The Method of Scientific Inquiry; Introductions to: Biological Chemistry, Organic Molecules, Cell Theory, Metabolism, Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution. Estimated Time to Complete Course: This course is comparable to one semester of a general education biology course at a community college. Additional Software or Materials Required: None. Course Last Updated Date: August 2012 Changes in this Update Include: First release of the course.