Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: How Life Works

Course Overview

This 36-lecture course provides an accessible introduction to biochemistry and molecular biology – the fundamental sciences of life. Through engaging explanations and real-world examples, you’ll explore how biological molecules interact to create the complexity of living organisms.

Key Topics:

• Structure and function of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates
• Cellular metabolism and energy production
• DNA replication and gene expression
• Molecular basis of diseases and aging
• Cutting-edge biotechnologies like CRISPR

Video Lectures

01: Biochemistry Is the Science of Us (31 min)

Discover how biochemistry explains life through molecular interactions and the major types of living cells.

02: Why Water Is Essential for Life (31 min)

Explore water’s unique properties that make it indispensable for biological processes.

03: Amino Acids: 20 Building Blocks of Life (29 min)

Learn about the 20 amino acids that combine to form all proteins in living organisms.

04: From Peptide Bonds to Protein Structure (30 min)

Understand how amino acids link together to create proteins with complex 3D structures.

05: Protein Folding, Misfolding, and Disorder (32 min)

Examine how proteins achieve their functional shapes and the consequences when this process fails.

06: Hemoglobin Function Follows Structure (29 min)

See how hemoglobin’s structure enables its crucial oxygen transport function.

07: Enzymes’ Amazing Speed and Specificity (31 min)

Discover how enzymes accelerate biochemical reactions with incredible precision.

08: Enzyme Regulation in Cells (31 min)

Learn how cells control enzyme activity to maintain metabolic balance.

09: Fatty Acids, Fats, and Other Lipids (32 min)

Explore the diverse world of lipids and their essential roles in cells.

10: Sugars: Glucose and the Carbohydrates (31 min)

Understand carbohydrates’ vital functions beyond just providing energy.

11: ATP and Energy Transformations in Cells (32 min)

Investigate ATP, the universal energy currency of cells.

12: Breaking Down Sugars and Fatty Acids (32 min)

Follow the metabolic pathways that extract energy from food molecules.

13: Metabolism Meets at the Citric Acid Cycle (32 min)

Examine the central hub of cellular metabolism and its implications for cancer.

14: Energy Harvesting in Animals and Plants (33 min)

Compare how different organisms capture and store energy.

15: How Animals Make Carbs and Fats (31 min)

Learn about biosynthetic pathways that create essential biomolecules.

16: Cholesterol, Membranes, Lipoproteins (35 min)

Separate fact from fiction about cholesterol’s roles in the body.

17: Metabolic Control during Exercise and Rest (31 min)

See how metabolism adapts to different activity levels.

18: How Plants Make Carbs and Other Metabolites (30 min)

Discover photosynthesis and the Calvin cycle in plant biochemistry.

19: Recycling Nitrogen: Amino Acids, Nucleotides (30 min)

Explore nitrogen’s crucial role in biomolecules and its environmental cycling.

20: Eating, Antioxidants, and the Microbiome (30 min)

Learn how diet affects cellular biochemistry and gut health.

21: Hormones, Stress, and Cell Division (32 min)

Understand biochemical signaling in stress responses and cell growth.

22: Neurotransmitters, the Brain, and Addiction (30 min)

Examine the molecular basis of nerve signaling and addictive behaviors.

23: The Biochemistry of Our Senses (29 min)

Discover how molecular interactions create our experience of the world.

24: From Biochemistry to Molecular Biology (29 min)

Transition to molecular biology by examining caffeine metabolism and aging.

25: DNA and RNA: Information in Structure (30 min)

Learn how nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information.

26: DNA Replication in Bacteria; PCR in the Lab (28 min)

Explore DNA copying mechanisms and revolutionary PCR technology.

27: Chromosome Replication, Telomeres, Aging (29 min)

Understand chromosome maintenance and its links to aging and cancer.

28: DNA Mismatch and Excision Repair (31 min)

See how cells fix DNA damage and implications for cancer treatment.

29: DNA Recombination, Gene Editing, CRISPR (29 min)

Learn about genetic recombination and revolutionary CRISPR gene editing.

30: Transcribing DNA to RNA (29 min)

Follow the first step of gene expression from DNA to messenger RNA.

31: Translating RNA into Proteins (31 min)

Discover how cells decode RNA messages to build proteins.

32: Protein-Synthesis Controls and Epigenetics (29 min)

Examine gene regulation mechanisms including epigenetic changes.

33: Human Genetic Disease and Gene Therapy (29 min)

Explore molecular bases of genetic disorders and treatment approaches.

34: Cancer Mechanisms and Treatments (30 min)

Learn how molecular changes lead to cancer and current therapies.

35: Biotechnology, Stem Cells, Synthetic Biology (28 min)

Survey cutting-edge technologies manipulating biological systems.

36: Omics: Genomics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics (41 min)

Explore the new frontiers of large-scale molecular biology research.