This course presents the principles of evolution, ecology, and behavior for students beginning their study of biology and of the environment. It discusses major ideas and results in a manner accessible to all Yale College undergraduates. Recent advances have energized these fields with results that have implications well beyond their boundaries: ideas, mechanisms, and processes that should form part of the toolkit of all biologists and educated citizens.

The discovery of restriction enzymes and their applications in DNA analysis has proven to be essential for biologists and chemists. This lesson focuses on restriction enzymes and their applications to DNA analysis and DNA fingerprinting. Use this lesson and its associated activity in conjunction with biology lessons on DNA analysis and DNA replication.

By this point in the unit, students have learned all the necessary information and conceptualized a design for how an optical biosensor could be used to detect a target strand of DNA associated with a cancer-causing gene as their solution to the unit's challenge question. Now student groups act as engineers again, using a poster format to communicate and prove the validity of the design. Successful posters include a description of refraction, explanations of refraction in a thin film, and the factors that can alter the interference pattern of a thin film. The posters culminate with an explanation of what is expected to be seen in a biosensing device of this type if it were coupled to a target molecule, proven with a specific example and illustrated with drawings and diagrams throughout. All the poster elements combine to prove the accuracy and viability of this method of gene detection. Together with its associated lesson, this activity functions as part of the summative assessment for this unit.

Strawberry DNA Extraction is a fun experiment that you can perform using everyday materials. The purpose of this experiment is to develop the interest, knowledge and skills of our students in the areas of biotechnology and life sciences. It engages students with a hands-on activity that is fun, interesting and informative and that can be used with a variety of levels from grade school to high school by tailoring the complexity of accompanying material.

Students observe natural selection in action and investigate the underlying mechanism, including random mutation and differential fitness based on environmental characteristics. They do this through use of the free AVIDA-ED digital evolution software application.

Students engineer and evolve digital organisms with the challenge to produce organisms with the highest fitness values in a particular environment. They do this through use of the free Avida-ED digital evolution software application. The resulting organisms compete against each other in the same environment and students learn the benefits of applying the principles of natural selection to solve engineering design problems.

Need to add the following contributors:Videographers: Mike May, Gayle VolkTechnical support: Remi Bonnart, Brittany Moreland

Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway that converts glucose, a six-carbon sugar, into two three-carbon molecules known as pyruvate. This animation walks through an overview of this process..

Glycolysis is a metabolic pathway that oxidizes glucose, a six-carbon sugar, into two three-carbon molecules known as pyruvate. This animation gives a detailed look at the 10 enzymatic reactions involved in the pathway.

Meiosis is a type of cell division involved in sexual reproduction. It occurs in all plants and animals that reproduce by way of gametes or spores. This animation walks through the stages of meiosis, illustrating how a diploid germ line cell divides into four haploid gametes.

Meiosis is a type of cell division involved in sexual reproduction. It occurs in all plants and animals that reproduce by way of gametes or spores. This animation walks through the stages of meiosis, illustrating how a diploid germ line cell divides into four haploid gametes.

Mitosis is the process by which the chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell are divided into into two new nuclei. This animation illustrates how the stages of mitosis progress and eventually lead to the formation of two new cells

The Citric Acid Cycle is a metabolic pathway that uses a two-carbon molecule, and a four-carbon molecule to form a six-carbon molecule that is used to produce NADH, carbon dioxide, ATP and FADH2. The cycle involves eight chemical reactions, and at the end, the original four-carbon molecule is produced. This animation gives an overview of the reactions and products involved in the pathway.

The Citric Acid Cycle is a metabolic pathway that uses a two-carbon molecule, and a four-carbon molecule to form a six-carbon molecule that is used to produce NADH, carbon dioxide, ATP and FADH2. The cycle involves eight chemical reactions, and at the end, the original four-carbon molecule is produced. This animation takes a closer look at the substrates, reactions, and products involved in the pathway.

This resources is an online video available in the "World Science Festival" open education series. The video "Cool Jobs Biomedical Engineer Adam Wilson" is included in the Technology section of the series.

This resources is an online video available in the "World Science Festival" open education series. The video "The Nano Robots Inside You" is included in the Technology section of the series.

This resources is an online video available in the "World Science Festival" open education series. The video "What Is CRISPR?" is included in the Technology section of the series.

Students use DNA profiling to determine who robbed a bank. After they learn how the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is used to match crime scene DNA with tissue sample DNA, students use CODIS principles and sample DNA fragments to determine which of three suspects matches evidence obtain at a crime location. They communicate their results as if they were biomedical engineers reporting to a police crime scene investigation.