Course Syllabus
Welcome to BIO101: Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
Specific information about this course and its requirements can be found below. For more general information about taking Saylor Academy courses, including information about Community and Academic Codes of Conduct, please read the Saylor Student Handbook.Course Description
Detailed introduction to molecular biology, including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids; water; and other compounds that make up the cell. Particular emphasis on the cell membrane, mitosis and meiosis, genetics and gene expression, transcription and translation, and cellular metabolism.
Course Introduction
This course is intended for the student interested in understanding and appreciating common biological topics in the study of the smallest units within biology: molecules and cells. Molecular and cellular biology is a dynamic field. There are thousands of opportunities within the medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial fields (just to name a few) for a person with a concentrated knowledge of molecular and cellular processes. This course will give you a general introduction of these topics. In addition to preparing for a diversity of career paths, an understanding of molecular and cell biology will help you make sound decisions in your everyday life that can positively impact your diet and health.
This course is comprised of the following units:
- Unit 1: Introduction to Biology
- Unit 2: Basic Chemistry
- Unit 3: Biological Molecules
- Unit 4: Cells and Cell Membranes
- Unit 5: Enzymes, Metabolism, Cellular Respiration
- Unit 6: Photosynthesis
- Unit 7: Cellular Reproduction: Mitosis
- Unit 8: Cellular Reproduction: Meiosis
- Unit 9: Mendelian Genetics & Chromosomes
- Unit 10: Gene Expression
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- relate biological concepts to daily living;
- characterize biological principles common to all organisms;
- explain the significance of biological principles to other fields of study;
- recognize the common relationships among scientific fields;
- demonstrate skills in using laboratory equipment;
- apply and evaluate application of the scientific method;
- transfer and apply your biological knowledge to solve problems in different settings;
- explain how matter and energy are stored and transformed by living systems;
- explain how information is stored, copied, transferred, and expressed in biological systems;
- describe the structure and function of biological macromolecules; and
- describe the structure and function of cellular components.
Throughout this course, you'll also see related learning outcomes identified in each unit. You can use the learning outcomes to help organize your learning and gauge your progress.
Course Materials
The primary learning materials for this course are readings, lectures, video tutorials, and other resources.
All course materials are free to access , and can be found through the links provided in each unit and subunit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will instruct you as to what specifically to read or watch at a given point in the course, and help you to understand how these individual materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also access a list all of the materials used in this course by clicking on Resources in the course's "Activities" menu.
Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score
Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first attempt, you may take it again as many times as needed, following a 7-day waiting period between each attempt. Once you have successfully passed the final exam you will be awarded a free Saylor Certificate of Completion
.
There are also 5 problem sets in this course. These are intended to help you to gauge how well you are learning and do not factor into your final course grade. You may retake all of these as many times as needed to feel that you have an understanding of the concepts and material covered. You can locate a full list of these sorts of assessments by clicking on Quizzes in the course’s “Activities” menu.
Earning College Credit
This course is eligible for college credit via Saylor’s Direct Credit Program . If you are seeking to earn college credit, you must opt to take and pass the Saylor Direct Credit final exam. That exam will be password protected and require the presence of a proctor. Upon passing that final exam you will receive a Proctor Verified Course Certificate, and will be eligible to earn an Official Transcript . For more information about applying for college credit review the “Guide: College Credit Opportunities ”. Be sure to check the section on proctoring for details (fees, technical requirements, etc.)
Note: There is a 14-day waiting period between attempts of the Direct Credit final exam. There is no imposed wait period between attempting the non-credit certificate-bearing exam and the credit exam. Some credit exams have a maximum number of attempts allowed, which will be detailed on the exam’s instructions page.
Tips for Success
BIO101: Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology is a self-paced course in which you the learner determines when you will start and when you will complete the course. There is no instructor or predetermined schedule to follow. While learning styles can vary considerably and any particular student will take more or less time to learn or read, we estimate that the "average" student will take 79.5 hours to complete this course. We recommend that you work through the course at a pace that is comfortable for you and allows you to make regular (daily, or at least weekly) progress. It's a good idea to also schedule your study time in advance and try as best as you can to stick to that schedule.
Learning new material can be challenging, so below we've compiled a few suggested study strategies to help you succeed:
- Pay special attention to Unit 1, as it will lay the groundwork for understanding the more advanced, explanatory material presented in the latter units.
- Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories as you read. This can help you differentiate and contextualize concepts and later provide you with a refresher as you study.
- As you progress through the materials, take time to test yourself on what you have retained and how well you understand the concepts. The process of reflection is important for creating a memory of the materials you learn; it will increase the probability that you ultimately retain the information.
- Although you may work through this course completely independently, you may find it helpful to connect with other Saylor students through the discussion forums. You may access the discussion forums at .
Technical Requirements
This course is delivered fully online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and to attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.
- To access the full course including assessments and the final exam, you will need to be logged into your Saylor Academy account and enrolled in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one, free of charge, here. Although you can access some course resources without being logged into your account, it’s advised that you log in to maximize your course experience. For example, some of the accessibility and progress tracking features are only available when you are logged in.
- Occasionally, Flash may be required to run certain multimedia and/or interactive applications in the course. Should you be prompted to enable Flash, click the option to allow or follow these instructions for enabling Flash on your computer or laptop.
- If you plan to attempt the optional credit recommended final exam that accompanies this course, then you will also need access to a webcam enabled computer. A webcam is needed so that our remote proctoring service can verify your identity, which will allow Saylor Academy to issue an official transcript to schools on your behalf.
For additional technical guidance check out Saylor’s tech-FAQ and the Moodle LMS tutorial .
Fees
There is no cost to access and enroll in this course. All required course resources linked throughout the course, including textbooks, videos, webpages, activities, etc are accessible for no charge. This course also contains a free final exam and course completion certificate.
This courses does contain an optional final exam that will provide students an opportunity to earn college credit. Access to the exam itself is free, though it does require the use of a proctoring service for identity verification purposes. The cost for proctoring is $25 per session.