Cell Biology

This is the second cell biology course in a three-part series. Building upon the concepts from biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology from our 7.00x Introductory Biology and 7.05x Biochemistry MOOCs, these cell biology courses transition to a comprehensive discussion of biology at an experimental level. How do we know what we know about cells at a molecular level and how can we use that knowledge to design experiments to test hypotheses in cell biology?

Do you think you know how cells grow and divide? Professor Iain Cheeseman will challenge you to see the cytoskeleton in new and beautiful ways. You will explore these structural elements of cells with an expanded toolkit to better understand the dynamic processes that generate incredible amounts of force and regulate function throughout the cell cycle.

We developed the 7.06x Cell Biology series with an emphasis on:

Developing your scientific thinking skills including articulating hypotheses, performing thought experiments, interpreting data, and designing experiments.

Using data based on real scientific experiments and highlighting the scientific process in assessments.

Asserting that biology is an active field that changes daily through examples of research and relevance to medicine, not static information in a textbook.

Uniting themes and principles that inform how scientists conduct and interpret research.

Implementing the science of learning in the course design.

What you'll learn

• How to apply biochemical and genetic approaches to address fundamental questions regarding the regulation of cell structure and division.
• How to evaluate the conclusions and models that scientists develop about cell biology from experimental approaches and results.
• How to select specific empirical methods and techniques based on the different types of questions scientists ask.
• How to design experiments with proper controls to answer cell biology questions.
• How to compare and contrast the roles of actin and microtubule cytoskeletal elements.
• How to identify recurring themes in maintaining cellular architecture throughout the cell cycle.