This is the first course of a two-course sequence designed to introduce biomedical engineering students to the molecular and cellular basis of life with a particular emphasis on the integration of molecular systems that underscore human physiology. This course will start with the basic chemistry of biological macromolecules and then explore the cell starting from the nucleus and moving outward. Major topics will include: DNA replication; molecular basis of inheritance; the biology of RNA; gene expression; protein synthesis; and enzyme kinetics.

This course serves as an introduction to cellular, molecular, and evolutionary biology. Topics will include: a study of the basic principles of modern cellular biology, including cell structure and function; the chemical basis and functions of life, including enzyme systems and gene expression; and the origin of life and evolutionary patterns of organism development on Earth.