Biology: The Science of Life (Great Courses, No. 1500)

One of the greatest scientific feats of our era is the astonishing progress made in understanding the intricate machinery of life. We are living in the most productive phase so far in this quest, as researchers delve ever deeper into the workings of living systems, turning their discoveries into new medical treatments, improved methods of growing food, and innovative new products. "The 21st century will be the century of biological science, just as the 20th century was the century of physical science," predicts Professor Stephen Nowicki, an award-winning teacher at Duke University who has specially adapted his acclaimed introductory biology course for The Teaching Company to bring you up to date on one of the most important fields of knowledge of our time. This intensive, 72-lecture course will give you the background and guidance to explore in depth the fundamental principles of how living things work-principles such as evolution by natural selection, the cellular structure of organisms, the DNA theory of inheritance, and other key ideas that will help you appreciate the marvelous diversity and complexity of life. Explore Living Systems at All Levels Make no mistake: This is a challenging course. But the rewards are tremendous. You will explore living systems at all levels, from biological molecules to global ecosystems. Along the way, you will gain insight into some of the most pressing questions facing society: What does it mean to say that the human genome has been sequenced, and why should we sequence the genomes of other species? How is an organism genetically modified or cloned, and what are the benefits-or potential costs-of doing so? What are stem cells, and how might they contribute to health and welfare? Why is HIV/AIDS so difficult to treat? What will happen if vast tracts of tropical rainforest are cut down, and why does it matter that the temperature of the Earth is rising?