Free Online Biochemistry Courses: How Can I Find Them?
You may think that only people who want to become scientists, doctors or researchers take biochemistry courses, but that's not true. Biochemistry - the study of chemical processes in living organisms - is useful in fields such as psychology, health care administration and speech pathology. You could improve your knowledge of biochemistry with the free online courses described below.
Where Can I Find Free Online Biochemistry Courses?
1. Biochemistry Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT's Biochemistry Laboratory course was available for on-campus undergraduate students in spring 2009. You can take the course online for free through MIT's OpenCourseWare (OCW) system. Any assignments completed are not graded.
What Will I Learn?
The course focuses on lab techniques used to research the leukemia drug Gleevec. With a combination of lecture and labs, you learn how to isolate and grow new cells.
What Materials Are Provided?
The course provides six sets of handouts from lecture presentations on topics such as DNA digestion and kinase domains. An image gallery of laboratory sessions is also provided with instructions on what is being done.
2. Graduate Biochemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Another OCW course offered by MIT, graduate biochemistry was originally offered on campus to graduate students. Three professors co-taught the course, which you can now take online at no cost.
What Will I Learn?
The course focuses on basic biochemical concepts and the mathematical and laboratory tools and techniques that biochemists use to analyze problems. Topics include the functions, structures and binding actions of catalytic proteins.
What Materials Are Provided?
You could read lecture notes on topics such as kinetics, mystery protein and molecular graphics. The course provides reviews of the concepts underlying chemical equilibrium and chemical thermodynamics.
3. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California - Irvine
This OCW course offered by the University of California in Irvine was developed to help teachers prepare for the math and science portions of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET). In particular this class helps prepare potential teachers for the CSET Science Subtest II and is not available for credit.
What Will I Learn?
The course explores the structure, functions and chemical compounds of living organisms. You also learn how proteins are made and examine the process of photosynthesis.
What Materials Are Provided?
The course includes eight topics, each with diagnostic quizzes and refresher topics. The online program includes slides that explain the topics to you and highlights the information related to biochemistry that is needed to pass the CSET biochemistry exam.
