When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Contemporary Biology

4 days left! Save on skills that make you shine with 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus. Save now

Contemporary Biology

Instructor: Ruthanne Thompson

8,724 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

98 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Prepare for a degree

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

98 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Prepare for a degree

Learn more

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

8 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 4 modules in this course

This course is an introduction to biology as it applies to our everyday life. Learners will explore the interplay between science and self through a personalized case study of themselves and their environment. By the end of the course, learners will be able to recognize the interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of the scientific principles behind the physical world and their experiences living in it.

Module details

In this module, we will make some discoveries about soil, the original and true cells of organisms that live within it and, the ways in which water and minerals travel from the soil and throughout plants.

What's included

3 videos13 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

3 videosTotal 9 minutes

Introduction to Cells4 minutes
Cell Membrane and Transport3 minutes
Copy of Cell Membrane and Transport3 minutes

13 readingsTotal 111 minutes

Copyright Notice for MOOCs10 minutes
Syllabus10 minutes
My Day in the Life at UNT10 minutes
Comparing Prokaryotic Cells and Eukaryotic Cells10 minutes
Plants & Their Adaptations10 minutes
Summary of Soil Properties and Organisms5 minutes
Introduction to Transportation Through Cells5 minutes
Cell Membrane(s)5 minutes
Diffusion and Osmosis10 minutes
Active Transport8 minutes
Summary and So What?8 minutes
Join UNT's BAAS Program Today!10 minutes
Join UNT's BSGB Program Today!10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 18 minutes

Cell Quiz8 minutes
Cell Membrane, Active & Passive Transport Quiz10 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Introduce yourself!10 minutes

In this module, we will take what we have learned about cells and cell transport and make discoveries about the way plants and animals obtain the energy they need for life. Building upon the knowledge gained, we will also make discoveries about interactions between organisms.

What's included

2 videos10 readings2 assignments

2 videosTotal 5 minutes

Energy Transfer2 minutes
Food Chains and Food Webs3 minutes

10 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Introduction to Energy Transfer5 minutes
Overview of Photosynthesis10 minutes
The Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis10 minutes
The Calvin Cycle10 minutes
Summary and So What?5 minutes
Introduction to Organismal Interactions5 minutes
Waterford's Energy Flow through Ecosystems10 minutes
To Eat & Avoid Being Eaten25 minutes
Chemical Pest Control5 minutes
Summary and So What5 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Energy Transfer30 minutes
Energy Flow30 minutes

In this module, we will take what we have learned about cells and cell transport, energy flow and transfer, and organismal interactions and we will make discoveries concerning the ways toxins enter cells, and their effects on the cell's genetic material.

What's included

1 video10 readings2 assignments

1 videoTotal 4 minutes

Overview of DNA4 minutes

10 readingsTotal 105 minutes

Introduction to Eukaryotic Cells5 minutes
Eukaryotic Cells and Their Organelles15 minutes
The Functions of the Plasma Membrane15 minutes
Summary and So What?5 minutes
Introduction to Genetic Material10 minutes
The Structure of DNA15 minutes
DNA Replication10 minutes
Transcription10 minutes
Translation10 minutes
Summary and So What?10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 19 minutes

Eukaryotic Cells & The Cell Membrane15 minutes
Eukaryotes & DNA Quiz4 minutes

In this module, we will take what we have learned about cells and we will make discoveries concerning our genetic code, the two processes of cell replication, and how we inherit specific traits.

What's included

2 videos14 readings2 assignments

2 videosTotal 13 minutes

Mendelian Genetics7 minutes
Inheritance6 minutes

14 readingsTotal 131 minutes

Introduction to Cell Division and the Human Genome10 minutes
Cell Division15 minutes
How Genes Are Regulated10 minutes
Mendel's Experiments10 minutes
Laws of Inheritance10 minutes
Human Karyotype 15 minutes
Summary and So What?5 minutes
Introduction to Sex Cell Division & Heredity5 minutes
Sexual Reproduction10 minutes
Meiosis1 minute
Errors in Meiosis10 minutes
Extensions of the Laws of Inheritance15 minutes
Sex Linked Traits10 minutes
Summary and So What?5 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Genetics30 minutes
Sexual Reproduction30 minutes

Prepare for a degree

Taking this course by University of North Texas may provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors in a related degree program which can help you decide if the topic or university is right for you.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(39 ratings)

Ruthanne Thompson

University of North Texas

2 Courses8,823 learners

Offered by

University of North Texas

Learner reviews

5 stars
81.63%
4 stars
13.26%
3 stars
3.06%
2 stars
0%
1 star
2.04%

Showing 3 of 98

Reviewed on May 8, 2023

Amazing Course with very easy and suitable communication used to explain the concepts.I am truly very happy to complete the course and gain some extra knowledge.Thnaks a lot Coursera Team!

Reviewed on May 26, 2023

Overall, the content was thorough an interesting. That being said, there were quite a few grammatical errors in the readings that should have been caught.

Reviewed on Apr 15, 2022

This course is really interesting, I learned a lot.

View more reviews