MIT OpenCourseWare
  • OCW home
  • Course List
  • about OCW
  • Help
  • Feedback
  • Support MIT OCW

Readings

Reading assignments include sections from the online MIT Biology Hypertextbook, scientific articles, online resources, class handouts, and sections from the required text.

Purves, Orians, Heller, and Sadava. Life: The Science of Biology. 7th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates; Gordonsville, VA: W.H. Freeman and Co., 2004. ISBN: 0716798565.


LeC # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 1.
2 Introduction (cont.) Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 4.
Foundations
3 Biochemistry 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 2.
4 Biochemistry 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 3.

Chemistry Review 1.1, 1.2 (Hypertext)
5 Biochemistry 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 6.

Chemistry Review 1.3, 1.4, 1.5.

Large Molecules 1.0, 2.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.0
(Hypertext)
6 Genetics 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 9 and 10.
7 Genetics 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 9 and 10.
8 Genetics 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 9 and 10.
9 Genetics 4
10 Molecular Biology 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 11.
11 Molecular Biology 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 12 and 14.
12 Molecular Biology 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 12 and 14.
How To - 1
13 Recombinant DNA 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 16.

Cloning into Plasmids

Molecular Techniques
14 Recombinant DNA 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 16.

Cloning into Plasmids

Molecular Techniques
15 Recombinant DNA 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 339-350 and 357-361.
16 Cell Biology 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 248-249, Chapter 15, pp. 815-818, 167-169, p. 184, p. 401.
17 Cell Biology 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 248-249, Chapter 15, pp. 815-818, 167-169, p. 184, p. 401.
18 Cell Biology 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 248-249, Chapter 15, pp. 815-818, 167-169, p. 184, p. 401.
Formation
19 Steps in Development
20 Cell Type and Position Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 20.
21 Fertilization and Fertility Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 43.
22 Morphogenesis Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 19.
How To - 2
23 Stem Cells Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 396-397.
24 Cloning Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 393-395.
Systems
25 Nervous System 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 44.
26 Nervous System 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 44.
27 Nervous System 3 What Controls Nerve Growth?
28 Cancer 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 350-355.

Weinberg, R. A. "How Cancer Arises." Sci Am. 275, no. 3 (September 1996): 62-70.

———. "Finding the Anti-oncogene." Sci Am. 259, no. 3 (September 1998): 44-5.
29 Cancer 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 350-355.

Weinberg, R. A. "How Cancer Arises." Sci Am. 275, no. 3 (September 1996): 62-70.

———. "Finding the Anti-oncogene." Sci Am. 259, no. 3 (September 1998): 44-5.
30 Cancer 3 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 355-357.

NCI Gleevec Article
31 Immunology 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 18.
32 Immunology 2 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. Chapter 18.
33 Virology 1 Purves, et. al. 7th ed. pp. 257-263.

Viruses (PDF)

AIDS (PDF)
34 Virology 2
35 Prion Disease Purves, et. al. 7th ed. p. 343.
36 Future of Biology
Final Exam