- Course Type CLEP
- Subject Science and Mathematics
- Level Introductory
- Length 4 Weeks
- Effort 6 Hours/Week
- Institution Modern States
It reviews the fundamentals of Biology that are usually covered throughout a one-year college course. Our goal as creators of this course is to prepare you to pass the College Board’s CLEP examination and obtain college credit for free.
Through the guidance of Dr. Athena Anderson from Purdue University, this course will review three major areas: molecular and cellular biology, organismal biology, and population biology.
“Biology” is a completely self-paced course. It has no prerequisites and it is offered entirely for free.
CLEP Exam
This course is designed to prepare you for the CLEP Biology exam and cover other related topics as well.
Instructors
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Athena Anderson, Ph.D.Purdue University
Course Overview
Biology Course Overview - Modern States
| Module | Topic | Video Length | Reading Pages |
| Module 1: Molecular and Cellular Biology (33%) 01:23:25 total video length 259 total reading pages |
1.0 Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0:01:15 | – |
| 1.1 Chemical composition of organisms | 0:01:45 | – | |
| 1.1.1 Simple chemical reactions and bonds | 0:08:49 | 13 | |
| 1.1.2 Properties of water | 0:04:07 | 8 | |
| 1.1.3 Chemical structure of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids | 0:05:52 | 30 | |
| 1.1.4 Origin of life | 0:02:15 | – | |
| 1.2 Cells | 0:02:07 | – | |
| 1.2.1 Structure and function of cell organelles | 0:08:41 | 9 | |
| 1.2.2 Properties of cell membranes | 0:07:44 | 30 | |
| 1.2.3 Comparison of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells | 0:04:10 | 12 | |
| 1.3 Enzymes | 0:01:28 | – | |
| 1.3.1 Enzyme-substrate complex | 0:03:29 | 7 | |
| 1.3.2 Roles of coenzymes | 0:01:05 | 7 | |
| 1.3.3 Inorganic cofactors | 0:01:07 | 7 | |
| 1.3.4 Inhibition and regulation | 0:03:52 | 7 | |
| 1.4 Energy transformations | 0:00:42 | – | |
| 1.4.1 Glycolysis, respiration, anaerobic pathways | 0:04:51 | 7 | |
| 1.4.2 Photosynthesis | 0:03:04 | 22 | |
| 1.5 Cell division | 0:00:47 | – | |
| 1.5.1 Structure of chromosomes | 0:05:05 | 4 | |
| 1.5.2 Mitosis, meiosis, and cytokinesis in plants and animals | 0:03:56 | 7 | |
| 1.6 Chemical nature of the gene | 0:01:46 | – | |
| 1.6.1 Watson-Crick model of nucleic acids | 0:02:36 | 8 | |
| 1.6.2 DNA replication | 0:02:05 | 12 | |
| 1.6.3 Mutations | 0:01:20 | 5 | |
| 1.6.4 Control of protein synthesis: transcription, translation, posttranscriptional processing | 0:02:06 | 14 | |
| 1.6.5 Structural and regulatory genes | 0:01:02 | 18 | |
| 1.6.6 Transformation | 0:01:20 | 12 | |
| 1.6.7 Viruses | 0:02:43 | 20 | |
| Module 2: Organismal Biology (34%) 00:56:32 total video length 186 total reading pages |
2.0 Introduction to Organismal Biology (Module 2) | 0:01:35 | – |
| 2.1 Structure and function in plants with emphasis on angiosperms | 0:00:46 | – | |
| 2.1.1 Root, stem, leaf, flower, seed, fruit | 0:02:32 | 23 | |
| 2.1.2 Water and mineral absorption and transport | 0:01:55 | 8 | |
| 2.1.3 Food translocation and storage | 0:01:43 | 8 | |
| 2.2 Plant reproduction and development | 0:01:18 | – | |
| 2.2.1 Alternation of generations in ferns, conifers, and flowering plants | 0:02:11 | 11 | |
| 2.2.2 Gamete formation and fertilization | 0:02:18 | 11 | |
| 2.2.3 Growth and development: hormonal control | 0:02:17 | 8 | |
| 2.2.4 Tropisms and photoperiodicity | 0:03:27 | 8 | |
| 2.3 Structure and function in animals with emphasis on vertebrates | 0:01:06 | – | |
| 2.3.1 Major systems (e.g., digestive, gas exchange, skeletal, nervous, circulatory, excretory, immune) | 0:02:32 | 26 | |
| 2.3.2 Homeostatic mechanisms | 0:03:36 | 5 | |
| 2.3.3 Hormonal control in homeostasis and reproduction | 0:03:56 | 5 | |
| 2.4 Animal reproduction and development | 0:01:49 | – | |
| 2.4.1 Gamete formation, fertilization | 0:02:31 | 8 | |
| 2.4.2 Cleavage, gastrulation, germ layer formation, differentiation of organ systems | 0:02:44 | 7 | |
| 2.4.3 Experimental analysis of vertebrate development | 0:02:25 | – | |
| 2.4.4 Extraembryonic membranes of vertebrates | 0:01:54 | 7 | |
| 2.4.5 Formation and function of the mammalian placenta | 0:00:55 | 4 | |
| 2.4.6 Blood circulation in the human embryo | 0:01:10 | – | |
| 2.5 Principles of heredity | 0:01:09 | – | |
| 2.5.1 Mendelian inheritance (dominance, segregation, independent assortment) | 0:02:50 | 26 | |
| 2.5.2 Chromosomal basis of inheritance | 0:04:18 | 9 | |
| 2.5.3 Linkage, including sex-linked | 0:02:41 | 12 | |
| 2.5.4 Polygenic inheritance (height, skin color) | 0:00:54 | – | |
| Module 3: Population Biology (33%) 03:34:48 total video length 381 total reading pages |
3.0 Introduction to Population Biology (Module 3) | 0:01:21 | – |
| 3.1 Principles of ecology | 0:01:53 | – | |
| 3.1.1 Energy flow and productivity in ecosystems | 0:03:05 | 5 | |
| 3.1.2 Biogeochemical cycles | 0:06:30 | 12 | |
| 3.1.3 Population growth and regulation (natality, mortality, competition, migration, density, r- and K-selection) | 0:03:12 | 33 | |
| 3.1.4 Community structure, growth, regulation (major biomes and succession) | 0:04:54 | 33 | |
| 3.1.5 Habitat (biotic and abiotic factors) | 0:00:40 | – | |
| 3.1.6 Concept of niche | 0:01:37 | – | |
| 3.1.7 Island biogeography | 0:05:18 | 18 | |
| 3.1.8 Evolutionary ecology (life history strategies, altruism, kin selection) | 0:02:07 | 13 | |
| 3.2 Principles of evolution | 0:02:15 | – | |
| 3.2.1 History of evolutionary concepts | 0:01:34 | 16 | |
| 3.2.2 Concepts of natural selection (differential reproduction, mutation, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, speciation, punctuated equilibrium) | 0:02:20 | 44 | |
| 3.2.3 Adaptive radiation | 0:03:46 | 21 | |
| 3.2.4 Major features of plant and animal evolution | 0:04:16 | 62 | |
| 3.2.5 Concepts of homology and analogy | 0:02:47 | 16 | |
| 3.2.6 Convergence, extinction, balanced polymorphism, genetic drift | 0:04:28 | 42 | |
| 3.2.7 Classification of living organisms | 0:04:16 | 13 | |
| 3.2.8 Evolutionary history of humans | 0:02:08 | 8 | |
| 3.3 Principles of behavior | 0:00:42 | – | |
| 3.3.1 Stereotyped, learned social behavior | 0:03:37 | 10 | |
| 3.3.2 Societies (insects, birds, primates) | 0:01:53 | – | |
| 3.4 Social biology | 0:00:55 | – | |
| 3.4.1 Human population growth (age composition, birth and fertility rates, theory of demographic transition) | 0:03:00 | 5 | |
| 3.4.2 Human intervention in the natural world (management of resources, environmental pollution) | 0:03:03 | 30 | |
| 3.4.3 Biomedical progress (control of human reproduction, genetic engineering) | 0:03:03 | – |
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